BREAKING NEWS

FBI Arrests 7 in Sears Tower Terror Plot Probe
from CNN

Seven people are in custody after a sweep by law enforcement authorities in connection with an alleged plot against targets that may have included the Sears Tower. No weapons or bomb-making materials had been found in the searches in the Miami area by FBI and state and local law enforcement officials. The city is under no imminent threat.

The arrests disrupted what may have been the early stages of a domestic terrorist plot to attack the Sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois, the FBI building in Miami, and possibly other targets. The 110-story Sears Tower is the world's third-tallest building and the tallest in North America.

Some of the suspects are members of a radical African-American Muslim group and that at least one had taken "an al Qaeda oath." They had carried out surveillance on the Sears Tower and FBI building in Miami.

The arrests culminated a monthslong undercover operation. The suspects believed they were dealing with an al Qaeda operative, but the person was actually a government informant.

LOCAL Stop Smoking Laser Therapy is Fraud

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

Smokers who pay hundreds of dollars to be zapped by lasers purported to help them quit are victims of fraud, a watchdog group alleged in seeking a federal crackdown. Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to halt five companies from promoting low-power laser therapy for smoking cessation. The companies do not have FDA clearance to market the lasers for that purpose, nor is there any scientific evidence they are safe or effective.

The FDA will evaluate the petition.

The FDA has cleared the so-called biostimulation lasers or laser acupuncture devices to be marketed only to help provide temporary pain relief.

Freedom Laser Therapy Inc., singled out in the petition as the most prominent of the five companies, charges smokers as much as $349 for a 30-minute laser "acupuncture" session and kit with vitamins, booklet and video. FDA regulations do allow the therapy to be used in investigational clinical trials or studies - exactly what Freedom Laser Therapy said it is carrying out at its two locations, in Santa Monica, Calif. and Royal Oak, Mich.

The company charged thousands of smokers to participate in the trials so far but has not collected data on whether the program successfully helped them quit.

The companies claim laser therapy triggers the release of endorphins, or the body's natural painkillers, that can help smokers cope with withdrawal. But reviews of medical literature turn up few reports of well-run clinical trials that examined laser stop-smoking therapy, according to both the American Lung Association and Public Citizen. And the few studies that have been done show no difference in success rates between patients zapped with a laser and those receiving a placebo or sham treatment.

LOCAL Driver Discovers Body Under Car

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

A teenage driver who said she thought she had a flat tire pulled off the road only to discover a body underneath her car.

The 17-year-old girl, of River Rouge, pulled her white Ford Taurus into the BP gas station in Lincoln Park. When she stepped out the vehicle to check out the back of her car, she saw a man's body lying underneath.

Police said they believe the man, who is about 64-years-old, is homeless and that he somehow got hooked on the back of the vehicle and was dragged from Shaeffer Road and Fort Street in southwest Detroit for several miles to the gas station.

Lincoln Park and Detroit police said they don't believe the driver is responsible. The man has been identified, but his information has not yet been released

Top 25 Most Popular Nouns

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

According to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary these are the top 25 nouns: (from 1st to 25th):

time, person, year, way, day, thing, man, world, life, hand, part, child, eye, woman, place, work, week, case, point, government, company, number, group, problem, fact

UPDATE Global Warming

from CNN

It has been 2,000 years and possibly much longer since the Earth's temperature has been this high. The National Academy of Sciences reported that the recent warmth is unprecedented for at least the last 400 years and potentially the last several millennia.

A panel of top climate scientists said that Earth is heating up and that human activities are responsible for much of the recent warming. The report said average global surface temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere rose about 1 degree during the 20th century.

Other new research showed that global warming produced about half of the extra hurricane-fueled warmth in the North Atlantic in 2005, and natural cycles were a minor factor.

Valet Stalks Woman, Hides Under Bed for 2 Days

from WTLV Jacksonville, FL TV 12

A stalker hid under a woman's bed for two days -- just for the chance to be alone with her.

The disturbing video shows the convicted stalker carefully hiding his video camera on a desk in the victim's bedroom. When he hears the woman and her boyfriend come in the apartment, he disappears under her bed. Carlo Castellanos-Feria remained there for two days until he was discovered by the victim's boyfriend.

The nightmare started at Holy Cross Hospital where the victim met her stalker who was working as a parking valet.

The judge handed down a three-year sentence, including treatment for mental illness and sex crimes. Court documents show the Hyattsville man had a change of clothes, condoms, a power cord and latex gloves with him under victims bed at the time of his arrest.

When investigators searched Carlo Castellanos-Feria's home, they found vacation photos of his victim and a wedding video. They later determined the items were stolen from her ex-husband's home.

Judge Confines Viscious Cat to Home

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

A judge has spared the life of a cat whose vicious attacks on neighbors landed his owner in court. Lewis the cat is owned by Ruth Cisero.

A judge ruled that Lews is not allowed out of Cisero's house. If he gets free, Cisero could face up to 6 months in prison, and Lewis' fate would be in the hands of animal control officers. Cisero had faced a charge of reckless endangerment because neighbors complained that the gray and white cat attacked at least a half-dozen people.

Some who were bitten and scratched ended up seeking treatment at hospitals.

New Computer Chip Breaks Speed Record

from The New York Time

Researchers at I.B.M. and the Georgia Institute of Technology are set to announce today that they have broken the speed record for silicon-based chips with a semiconductor that operates 250 times faster than chips commonly used today.

The achievement is a major step in the evolution of computer semiconductor technology that could eventually lead to faster networks and more powerful electronics at lower prices. Developments like this one typically find their way into commercial products in 12 to 24 months. At room temperature, the chips operate at 350 gigahertz, far faster than other chips in commercial use today.

Missle Shield Operational

from Reuters

The United States has moved its ground-based interceptor missile defense system from test mode to operational amid concerns over an expected North Korean missile launch. U.S. officials say evidence such as satellite pictures suggests Pyongyang may have finished fueling a Taepodong-2 missile, which some experts said could reach as far as Alaska.

While military officials also note the United States has a limited missile defense system, they have so far declined to comment on any details about the capabilities or potential use of the system to intercept a North Korean missile.

LOCAL Tiger Stadium to be Demolished

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said he plans to demolish the landmark former home of the Detroit Tigers and replace it with shops and housing. He said the playing field itself will be preserved as a park.

The plan also would retain a small part of the stadium itself.

It has been largely vacant since the Tigers moved out in 1999. The Tigers began playing there in 1912.

Shuttle Discovery Launch Scheduled

from CNN

NASA managers have set July 1 as the date the space shuttle Discovery will rocket into space, the agency's first manned space flight in nearly a year.

The announcement came Saturday after a two-day Flight Readiness Review at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where Discovery is undergoing final preparations for launch.

The shuttle will deliver supplies to the international space station and drop off European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter, who will join the Expedition 13 crew already there.

10 Useless Facts

An ant can live under water for 14 days.

The average fart travels over 16 feet when released.

Rubberbands last longer when stored in the refrigerator.

Peanuts are one of the ingredients used to make dynamite.

The average persons left hand does 56% of the typing.

Almonds are a member of the peach family.

The microwave oven was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

A can of SPAM is opened every 4 seconds.

Women blink twice as many times as men do.

More people are killed annually by donkeys than in airplane crashes.

Vodka Lake Created in Poland

from the Sunday Mirror (UK)

A lake has been transformed from freshwater to 30 per cent vodka after a leak from a nearby distillery.

Farmers and workers from Wielkopolska, Poland rushed to fill their boots with the brew - three times the strength of wine. A 71-year-old woman, who lives near Lake Bracholinskie, said: "If God doesn't help, everyone will be a drunkard with only a hole where the lake was."

IPod TP Dispenser

from Daily Mail

This state-of-the-art device - called an iCarta - makes it easier for people to listen to music while using the bathroom. It is designed to enhance your experience in the smallest room.

The gadget, which costs around $99 merges an iPod docking station with a tiolet paper dispenser. After music lovers have downloaded songs from the internet on their iPod, they can place it in a socket in the top of the dispenser.

While sitting on the toilet, using the shower or luxuriating in a bubble bath, they can listen to their favourite tunes. The device delivers high-quality sounds from moisture-resistant speakers.

Thousands of Illegal Immigrants Arrested Across Country

from Breitbart

In a blitz that began May 26, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested nearly 2,100 illegal immigrants across the country. Officials said the raids are aimed at child molesters, gang members and other violent criminals, as well as people who sneaked back into the country after a judge threw them out.

The crackdown is called Operation Return to Sender.

The operation has caught more than 140 immigrants with convictions for sexual offenses against children; 367 known gang members, including street soldiers in the deadly Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13; and about 640 people who had already been deported once, immigration officials said. The numbers include more than 720 arrests in California alone.

More than 800 people arrested already have been deported.

Jacko Brutality Photos a Fake

from FOX News

Remember the accusations Michael Jackson made against the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department? At the end of December, Jackson claimed that the sheriffs roughed him up. Specifically, he claimed that bruises on his forearms were the result of too-tight handcuffs. Months later, in 2004, an investigation proved that Jackson had not suffered any kind of unusual harassment at the hands of the sheriffs.

The photos in question, show Jackson in a bathroom at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Lake Las Vegas, Nev. T hey were taken at least eight days after the arrest. Jackson had returned to the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, moved to a nearby resort before finally ending up at the Ritz Carlton. In one picture, he’s wearing a Ritz-Carlton robe. But what the sequence of photos also shows is that he self-inflicted a wound on his arm and caused a rapidly rising welt to form.

The pictures literally show the welt growing on Jackson’s arm almost as if by magic. They also show it turning not black and blue, but a kind of amber color. Sources say this discoloration was caused by makeup. The pictures were taken within a few minutes of each other.

Eminem Set to Return to Big Screen

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

Detroit-area rap star Eminem will return to the big screen in a remake of the western television series "Have Gun - Will Travel." Eminem will star in a contemporary feature adaptation of the 1950s CBS series for Paramount Pictures.

The setting could be Eminem's hometown of Detroit, but the details are yet to be worked out. Paramount Pictures has extended an 18-month option to develop the movie as a vehicle for the rapper. The new movie will be revamped from the original, with some characters based loosely on ones from the series as well as nods to certain story points.

The rapper will be cast as a bounty hunter, and it is unlikely he will resemble actor Richard Boone's character Paladin from the TV series. Interscope/Shady/Aftermath Films will produce the film and Eminem may contribute to the soundtrack.

Parents Rewarded Children with Pot

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

Police in Chandler, Arizona charge Toni and Aaron Carlson rewarded their sons with marijuana for good behavior. The police got a tip that the boys' mother, 31-year-old Toni Lynn Carlson and their stepfather, 23-year-old Aaron Carlson, were supplying the boys with marijuana.
Police that allege the also couple smoked pot with the boys.

Police said the boys, ages 12 and 11, and a 4-year-old girl, are now in the care of a family member. Officers report they were investigating tips from a neighbor about the possible use and sale of drugs at the home. But investigators said they didn't know about the family pot smoking until the parents and their kids were interviewed.

Detectives are trying to determine if drugs were supplied to other children as well.

Both Carlsons were booked on multiple drug charges and an endangerment charge.

Another Great Picture

Look at that picture above. That's Jack the cat protecting his owners yard in West Milford, New Jersey from a visiting black bear. When the bear first came into the yard Jack went after him and scared him up a tree. After fifteen minutes the bear finally got the balls to come back down, only to be chased up another tree minutes later. Finally, worried for the safety of their car, Jack's owners called him back into the house and the bear went away.

Doctors Call for 'Fat Tax' on Soda

from Daily Mail

Doctors will this week declare war on America's soft drinks industry by calling for a 'fat tax' to combat the nation's obesity epidemic.

Delegates at the powerful American Medical Association's annual conference will demand a levy on the sweeteners put in sugary drinks to pay for a massive public health education campaign.
They will also call for the amount of salt added to burgers and processed foods to be halved.
The moves come as U.S. doctors are becoming increasingly alarmed at the growing number of deaths linked to obesity.

The resolution will put doctors on a collision course with Coca-Cola and Pepsi, plus the likes of McDonald's and Burger King. Sales of soft drinks in U.S. schools are in decline ahead of the introduction of guidelines allowing only healthier low-calorie drinks, plus milk and certain fruit juices, over the next two years.

Great Picture

In a breathtaking blaze of glory, Nature puts on one of its most spectacular sky shows.
Reds, oranges, blues and greens create a flaming rainbow that stretches above the clouds.
But this circumhorizon arc, as it is known, owes more to ice than fire. It occurs when sunlight passes through ice crystals in high cirrus clouds. It is one of 15 types of ice halos formed only when the most specific of factors dovetail precisely together.
This blanket of fire, covering hundreds of square miles, is the rarest phenomenon of them all. It was spotted in the US on the Washington-Idaho border around midday last Saturday.

Florida Bears Down for Alberto

from CNN

Most of Florida's west coast was under a tropical storm watch Sunday as Tropical Storm Alberto spun over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening to bring heavy rain in the next few days. By midday, the first named storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season had maximum sustained wind near 45 mph, up 10 mph from early in the morning, but it was not likely to grow into a hurricane.

Alberto is a lopsided tropical storm with the most intense wind and rains massed on the eastern edge of the system. The first of the storm's rains swept across the Florida peninsula Sunday with no major reports of damage. Forecasters said that 30 inches of rain could fall over the western half of Cuba, creating a threat of flash floods and mudslides, and that 8 inches could fall over the Florida Keys and the state's Gulf Coast.

Truck Hauling Toilet Paper Catches Fire, Interstate Shut Down

from WWTI West NY TV 50

A truck hauling toilet paper caused a big mess on the Thruway in western New York last night.

State Police say the truck caught fire while traveling eastbound between the Pembroke and Batavia exits shortly after five last evening. Troopers say the driver managed to escape unharmed from his burning rig.

Troopers blocked off the right lane as crews worked to clean up a load of toilet paper that spilled onto the road. It caused traffic to back up for several miles.

No serious injuries were reported.

Vatican Condemns Threats to Traditional Family

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

The Vatican issued a sweeping condemnation Tuesday of contraception, abortion, in-vitro fertilization and same-sex marriage, declaring that the traditional family has never been so threatened as in today's world.

The document was issued by the Pontifical Council for the Family, whose head, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, is a strong opponent of the use of condoms under any circumstances. However, the document did not mention an ongoing debate within the Vatican on whether the Roman Catholic Church could permit condoms to battle AIDS in a particular circumstance - when one partner in a marriage has the virus.

It reaffirmed the famous 1968 encyclical "Humanae Vitae" that stated the Vatican's opposition to contraception. Since then, it said, couples "have been limiting themselves to one, or maximum two children."

It also condemned in-vitro fertilization, artificial insemination and the use of embryos. The document did not break any new ground but summarized traditional Vatican positions. Lopez Trujillo sparked controversy three years ago when he said condoms don't prevent AIDS and may help spread it because they create a false sense of security. The Vatican insists sexual abstinence is the only sure way to fight AIDS. Several other cardinals have argued that the use of a condom within a marriage would be the lesser of two evils if it prevents passing on HIV infection to the partner.

The document made a broad attack on what it said were threats to the "the natural institution of marriage." "Couples made up of homosexuals claim similar rights to those reserved to husband and wife; they even claim the right to adoption. Women who live a lesbian union claim similar rights, demanding laws which give them access to hetero fertilization or embryo implantation. Moreover it is claimed that the help of the law to form these unusual couples goes hand in hand with the help to divorce and repudiate."

"Abortion and infanticide show the absence of efficient juridical protection for the conceived. Such practices in fact constitute a violation of the fundamental right to life which is the right of every human being from the moment of conception."

30-Year Mortgage: 6.66%

from USAToday

Mortgage applications fell last week as mortgage rates were mixed.

Borrowing costs on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, excluding fees, averaged 6.66%, up 0.05 percentage point from the previous week, and matching a four-year high touched two weeks ago.

UPDATE 3-armed Baby's Surgery Successful

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

A 2-month-old Chinese boy was recovering Tuesday after surgery to remove an unusually well-formed third arm. Neither of the boy's two left arms was fully functional, but surgeons decided to remove the one growing closer to his chest after tests showed it was less developed.

The baby will require long-term physical therapy to gain function in his remaining hand, which has no palm and flexes in either direction.

Doctors do not know what causes such additional limbs, although many speculate they start out as limbs of a conjoined twin that never developed. He ruled out environmental factors such as birth defect-causing pollution, saying that couldn't fully explain similar cases elsewhere. No reliable figures exist on the frequency of such cases, partly because many fetuses with more than four limbs are aborted or miscarried. In most cases where the fetus survives, it's clear which limb is less developed and should be amputated. This case was especially rare because both left arms were almost equally developed.

Lousiana Governor Expected to Sign Strict Abortion Ban

from WWL New Orleans TV 4

Gov. Kathleen Blanco was expected to sign a strict abortion ban into law after the Senate on Monday gave the measure final legislative approval. Blanco has said she planned to sign the bill that would ban nearly all abortions in Louisiana, though only if the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion rights ruling is overturned.

The bill could only take effect under two circumstances: the U.S. Constitution is amended to allow states to ban abortion; or the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade. Under the measure, doctors found guilty of performing abortions would face up to 10 years in prison and fines of $100,000.

Originally, the bill would have allowed abortions only to save the life of the mother, with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. The House added a provision to allow abortions in cases where the mother's health faces permanent harm.

Toronto Terror Plot Foiled

from CNN

Canadian police halted a real and serious terror threat in and around Toronto. Twelve men and five youths said to have been inspired by al Qaeda were arrested in the operation involving hundreds of officers.

The group was planning to commit a series of terrorist attacks against solely Canadian targets in southern Ontario. The group took steps to acquire three tons of ammonium nitrate and other components necessary to create explosive devices. To put this in context, the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people took one ton of ammonium nitrate.

The detained suspects are all males, Canadian residents from a variety of backgrounds and followers of a violent ideology inspired by al Qaeda. The adults ranged in age from 19 to 43, and all lived in Ontario. No information was released on the youths.

The charges they face include participating in terrorist group activity such as training and recruitment; the provision of property for terrorist purposes; and the commission of indictable offenses, including firearms and explosives in association with a terrorist group.

The targets were all in Toronto. Authorities did not release information on targets except to say they did not include the Toronto Transit Commission.

LOCAL Party in Hell Planned for 6/6/06

from CNN

They're planning a hot time in Hell on Tuesday. The day bears the date of 6-6-06. And there's not a snowball's chance in Hell that the day will go unnoticed in the unincorporated hamlet 60 miles west of Detroit.

Nobody is more fired up than John Colone, the town's self-styled mayor and owner of a souvenir shop. "I've got `666' T-shirts and mugs. I'm only ordering 666 (of the items) so once they're gone, that's it," said Colone, also known as Odum Plenty. "Everyone who comes will get a letter of authenticity saying you've celebrated June 6, 2006, in Hell."

Most of Colone's wares will sell for $6.66, including deeds to one square inch of Hell.

Live entertainment and a costume contest are planned. The Gates of Hell should be installed at a children's play area in time for the festivities. The gates are 8 feet tall and 5 foot wide and each gate looks like flames, and when they're closed, it's a devil's head.

Radio stations as far away as San Diego and Seattle have been raffling off trips to Hell in honor of 6-6-6.

LOCAL Suspect in KMart Rape Caught

from WXYZ Detroit TV 7

Waterford police say they’ve got their man in connection with a rape investigation. A woman was assaulted in broad daylight in a Kmart parking lot Tuesday.

The incident happened in the parking lot of a Kmart store on Dixie Highway Tuesday afternoon.
Police say a 32-year-old woman had just finished shopping when she got in her van. A man was allegedly hiding in the back seat. He grabbed the woman and sexually assaulted her.
Police say the man walked away after the attack, and shoppers called police after hearing the victim scream.

Tracking dogs were brought out as police surrounded the parking lot.

The 37-year-old suspect from Independence Township was taken into custody at his home without incident. It is not known what charges the suspect could face.

Britney Hires Man Nanny

from Drudge

With questions being asked about her parenting skills, and reports circulating that her husband has walked out on her, Britney Spears could definitely use a man about the house right now.
So it is perhaps no surprise to find this newest staff member - a male nanny - on Miss Spears' payroll.

The 24-year-old pop star has hired the male nanny to carry out such tasks as lugging around her eight-month-old baby Sean Preston, unload the shopping and wheeling the pram.
He is also a trained bodyguard and more than capable of fending off Britney's ever-present following of photographers.

In fact, the new recruit, who is named Perry, looks to have been drafted in to do all the things her husband Kevin Federline did before he reportedly flew the coup recently. Miss Spears took Perry on amid intense speculation over her ability to be a good mother. Two weeks ago she almost dropped Sean Preston on the pavement when she tripped up in platform shoes.

Britney had been holding the baby in one hand - and a tumbler of drink in the other - when her flared jeans caught under her shoes making her stumble on a pavement in New York.

Couple Ordered Hit on Grankids

from CNN

A couple tried to hire a hit man to kill their three grandchildren and daughter-in-law to stop them from testifying against their son in his rape trial.

The couple, ages 60 and 59, were charged with four counts each of criminal conspiracy to commit murder. They were being held without bond. The pair initially offered $100 to an undercover sheriff's deputy to kill their son's wife, their 10-year-old granddaughter, two step-grandchildren, ages 14 and 16, and the family dog. More money was promised after the killings.

The couple's 31-year-old son has been jailed since November on 22 charges of sexual battery on a child, lewd and lascivious molestation and showing obscene material to a minor.

LOCAL UPDATE Taco Bell Mouse-in-Burrito Scheme

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

A Michigan man who stuffed a dead mouse in a burrito in an attempt to extort money from Taco Bell will be chowing down on prison food for the next 16 to 30 months.

Ryan Goff pleaded guilty to a felony count of attempted false pretenses between $1,000 and $20,000. Authorities said he told a restaurant worker that his burrito had a "funny" taste to it before the mouse was discovered.

Goff later told Taco Bell management and the local health department that he found a mouse. According to court records, he also told a company manager it wouldn't be good for the media to find out.

Goff's girlfriend later spilled the beans (no pun intended), telling investigators he had bought frozen mice from a pet store and put one in the burrito.

Pat Robertson's Plane Crashes, 2 Killed

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

Two people died Friday after a plane owned by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson went down in heavy fog.

Robertson was not aboard. The bodies were recovered from Long Island Sound.

Three other people were in the Learjet 35 when it went down about a half-mile short of the runway at Groton-New London Airport. They were able to escape with minor injuries.
The survivors were pulled from the water and taken to a hospital in New London.

According to public records, the plane is registered to Virginia-based Robertson Asset Management. The company is owned by Robertson and is separate from the Christian Broadcasting Network.

The chartered, twin-engine plane took off from Norfolk, Va., and stopped in Atlantic City, N.J., to drop off two passengers before heading to Connecticut.

Astronauts Complete 6 Hour Spacewalk

from Reuters

The two crewmembers aboard the International Space Station successfully completed an extended 6-hour spacewalk early Friday to fix equipment and retrieve science experiments from the outside of the complex.

The spacewalk was marred only by the loss of a 12-inch metal foot restraint adapter that had been on the Russian telescoping work boom.

Vinogradov and crewmate Jeffrey Williams had finished their work on the Russian parts of the station and did not need the device for the remaining task

The men also retrieved a contamination monitoring device and a science experiment, both of which will be sent back to Earth for analysis.

UPDATE US Immigration Policy

from Technovelgy.com

Scott Silverman, Chairman of the Board of VeriChip Corporation, has proposed implanting the company's RFID tracking tags in immigrant and guest workers. He proposed using VeriChip RFID implants to register workers at the border, and then verify their identities in the workplace. He has reportedly talked to many people in Washington about using it.

The VeriChip is a very small Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag about the size of a large grain of rice. It can be injected directly into the body; a special coating on the casing helps the VeriChip bond with living tissue and stay in place. A special RFID reader broadcasts a signal, and the antenna in the VeriChip draws power from the signal and sends its data. The VeriChip is a passive RFID tag; since it does not require a battery, it has a virtually unlimited life span.
RFID tags have long been used to identify animals in a variety of settings; livestock, laboratory animals and pets have been "chipped" for decades.

Privacy advocates have long expressed concerns about this technology being used in human beings.


from Yahoo! News

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed to send the California National Guard to the Mexican border, ending a 17-day standoff with the Bush administration. The two sides had been at odds over whether California Guardsmen would join the effort to bolster the Border Patrol and who would pay for it.
They reached an agreement under which California will contribute about 1,000 Guardsmen for border duty and the federal government will pick up the full cost.

Schwarzenegger intends for the mission to be carried out mostly by troops who volunteer for six- to 12-month assignments. The Bush plan called for sending Guardsmen on border duty instead of their annual two-and-three week training exercises.
The state would have to pay for normal training sessions, while long-term assignments are funded by the federal government.

National Guard troops will be used for engineering, road and fence building, transportation, logistics and surveillance, reconnaissance and port-of-entry duties but not direct law enforcement.