KFC to Ban Trans Fats

from The Detroit Free Press

KFC said it is phasing out trans fats in cooking its Original Recipe and Extra Crispy fried chicken, Potato Wedges and other menu items. Trans fats are believed to raise consumer cholesterol levels. The restaurant chain said it will start using zero trans fat soybean oil systemwide with the rollout expected to be completed by April 2007. KFC said many of its approximately 5,500 restaurants already have switched to low linolenic soybean oil, replacing partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

Crispy Strips, Wings, Boneless Wings, Buffalo and Crispy Snacker Sandwiches, Popcorn Chicken and Twisters also are part of the menu change. The announcement came just ahead of a New York City Board of Health public hearing on a plan to make New York the first U.S. city to ban restaurants from serving food containing artificial trans fats. Artificial trans fat is so common that the average American eats 4.7 pounds of it a year, according to the Food and Drug Administration. But health officials say trans fat belongs in the same category as food spoiled by poor refrigeration or rodent droppings.

Teen's Breast Removed After Piercing

from MyWay News

A teenager who decided to get her breasts pierced for her 18th birthday faces reconstructive surgery after a flesh-destroying infection forced doctors to remove her left breast. Stephanie Edington remained hospitalized at the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, where surgeons also removed lymph nodes and infected skin up to her collar bone.

The piercing created an entry point for the bacteria, but the procedure likely did not cause the infection itself. Edington is diabetic, which left her susceptible to infection.

Halloween is Bringing Sexy Back

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

When it comes to dressing for Halloween, sexy is beginning to trump scary. Approximately one out of every two costumes sold this year is something sexy. But ghosts and skeletons are still being gobbled up at a brisk pace as Halloween approaches.

According to a survey released by the National Retail Federation, 34 percent of adults will dress in costume on Halloween, including nearly two-thirds of adults ages 18 to 24. Top Halloween costumes for adults include witches, pirates and vampires.

59.9 percent of consumers plan to buy a Halloween costume this year, up from 53.3 percent in 2005, with the average person spending $21.57 on that purchase. This year an estimated $4.96 billion will be spent on the holiday, making it the sixth largest spending holiday of the year.

St. Louis, Detroit Most Dangerous Cities

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

Just days after the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers met in the World Series, their hometowns find themselves atop a list no one wants to lead: the most dangerous cities in the United States. St. Louis ranked first, Detroit second and Flint, Mich., third in the annual ranking of the nation's most dangerous cities, compiled by Morgan Quitno Press.

Among the nation's safest cities are the Detroit suburbs of Troy at No. 5 and Sterling Heights at No. 16. St. Louis has long been in the upper tiers of Morgan Quitno Press's annual rankings of the nation's safest and most dangerous cities.

Violent crime surged nearly 20 percent there this year, when the rate of such crimes rose much faster in the Midwest than in the rest of nation, according to FBI figures released in June.

The study looks at crime only within St. Louis city limits, with a population of about 330,000. It doesn't take into account the suburbs in St. Louis County, which has roughly 980,000 residents. Cities are ranked based on more than just their crime rate, Morgan said. Individual crimes such as rape or burglary are measured separately, compared to national averages and then compiled to give a city its ranking. Crimes are weighted based on their danger to people.

Despite Buzz, World Series Ratings Reach Record Low

from AP

A World Series to remember for the St. Louis Cardinals was one to forget when it came to television ratings. The Cardinals' five-game victory over the Detroit Tigers averaged a record-low 10.1 television rating and 17 share. This year's rating dropped 9 percent from the previous bottom, an 11.1 for a four-game sweep by the Chicago White Sox over the Houston Astros last year.

The national rating is the percentage of U.S. television households tuned to a program, and each point represents 1,114,000 homes. The share is the percentage of households watching a broadcast among those homes with televisions in use at the time.

Over 200 Animals Seized from Fla. Home

from the Orlando Sentinel

The seizure of more than 200 dogs and birds from a small home in the Oak Ridge area Friday was described as possibly the largest ever removal of abandoned animals in Orange County. Deputy sheriffs, workers from the county's Animal Services Division and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Central Florida took roughly five hours to clear the house. By the time they were done, 57 dogs and 146 birds were pulled from the house crowded with excrement, animals and trash. One dog was dead.

Maqsood Ahamad, 43, who owns the 1,358-square-foot house, was jailed on one misdemeanor count of confinement of an animal without proper food or water. He may face additional charges, plus thousands of dollars in civil fines. Ahamad was booked into the Orange County Jail with bail set at $650.

A report of dog abandonment brought deputy sheriffs to the scene. A neighbor complained that the dogs had been barking for three days, and letters were spilling out of the mailbox. Animal Control arrived as backup. What they found when they opened the door was far worse than they had imagined. Fouled furniture and other clutter crowded their path. Fleas jumped on investigators. Pit-bull mutts were in pens or chained inside and outside the house. There were no bowls with water or food. The floor was covered in so much animal feces that workers couldn't tell if the floor was carpeted or tiled.

Endgame

The St. Louis Cardinals won Game 5 (4-2) tonight over the Detroit Tigers, to clench the 2006 World Series championship title.

Traitors: Defined

In law, treason is the crime of disloyalty to one's nation or state. A person who betrays the nation of their citizenship and/or reneges on an oath of loyalty and in some way willfully cooperates with an enemy, is considered to be a traitor. In many nations, it is also often considered treason to attempt or conspire to overthrow the government, even if no foreign country is aided or involved by such an endeavour. It is often punishable by death,

Traitor may also mean a person who betrays (or is accused of betraying) their own political party, family, friends, ethnic group, religion, or other group to which they may belong. Often, such accusations are controversial and disputed, as the person may not identify with the group of which they are a member, or may otherwise disagree with the group leaders making the charge. For example, race traitor.

Figures in history who are renowned for acts of treachery have subsequently had their names become synonymous with the word "traitor". Some examples are Judas, Benedict Arnold, Pétain, Quisling, and Casey Warner.

Keep Hope Alive

David Eckstein doubled off the glove of Craig Monroe to drive in the go-ahead run as the Cardinals beat the Tigers, 5-4, in Game 4 of the World Series. The Cards lead the series, 3-1, with Game 5 at 8 ET Friday.

Sean Casey had a pair of RBIs, but Detroit's defense and timely hitting by the Cards did the Tigers in.

And the Show Must Go On

Down a game, Detroit turns to Jeremy Bonderman vs. NLCS MVP Jeff Suppan. Originally scheduled to start at 8PM on Wednesday, Game 4 of The World Series was postponed due to weather. The first pitch launches at 8:19 PM despite the threat of bad weather.

Tomorrow's forecast for Saint Louis is as follows:

NJ Court Rules in Favor of Gay Marriage

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

New Jersey's Supreme Court opened the door to gay marriage Wednesday, ruling that homosexuals are entitled to the same rights as heterosexuals, but leaving it to lawmakers to legalize same-sex unions.

The high court gave lawmakers 180 days to rewrite marriage laws to either include same-sex couples or create a new system of civil unions for them. The ruling is similar to the 1999 decision in Vermont that led to civil unions there, which offer the benefits of marriage, but not the name.

Gay couples in New Jersey can already apply for domestic partnerships under a law the Legislature passed in 2004 giving gay couples some benefits of marriage, such as the right to inherit possessions if there is no will and healthcare coverage for state workers. Democratic Gov. Jon S. Corzine supports domestic partnerships, but not gay marriage.

Supporters pushing for full gay marriage have had a two-year losing streak in state courts including New York, Washington, and in both Nebraska and Georgia, where voter-approved bans on gay marriage were reinstated. They also have suffered at the ballot boxes in 15 states where constitutions have been amended to ban same-sex unions.

UPDATE 7-Eleven Pulls 'Cocaine' Energy Drink

from AP

Convenience-store operator 7-Eleven Inc. is telling franchises to pull a high-caffeine drink from its shelves because of the product's name: Cocaine. The company acted after getting complaints from parents of teens, who are a big part of the drink's target audience.

Cocaine comes in red cans, with the name spelled out in what are meant to resemble lines of white powder. According to the label, each 8.4-fluid ounce can contains 280 milligrams of caffeine - more jolt than a cup of coffee, a can of Coca-Cola or the leading energy drink, Red Bull - but no cocaine.

This isn't the first time Cocaine has been yanked. Some stores in the New York area pulled the drink after local politicians complained. It's all part of the company's plan to stand out in the fast-growing energy drink market. 7-Eleven stores sell other energy drinks, which nutritionists warn can cause caffeine and sugar highs followed by crashing lows among kids who consume them - sometimes several in a row.

Critical Error

The World Series shifted to St. Louis for Game 3,where Jim Edmonds' two-run double and Joel Zumaya's two-run error led to a 5-0 lead for St. Louis in the seventh inning. Chris Carpenter allowed just three hits over eight shutout innings. Sean Casey and Brandon Inge had the only hits against Chris Carpenter.

Joel Zumaya took little comfort in the obvious fact that even without his error, the Tigers still would have lost this game. Soon after the Cardinals beat the Tigers, Zumaya beat himself up for a throwing miscue that led to two unearned runs, giving the Cardinals a commanding four-run lead instead of keeping the deficit at two. Zumaya opted to shoulder most of the blame for this loss.

The Cardinals lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is scheduled for an 8:19 start on Thursday.

Tigers Settle the Score

After eight scoreless innings to pitch the Tigers back to even in this World Series with a 3-1 victory over the Cardinals in Game 2, it's looking historic. Kenny Rogers stretched his postseason scoreless streak to 23 innings, allowing just two hits throught eight shutout frames.

While Rogers worked out of two-out trouble in the opening inning, the FOX network broadcast noticed a smudge on his left hand near his thumb. Cardinals players watching the broadcast inside the visiting clubhouse at Comerica Park apparently saw the footage and alerted Tony La Russa. The manager, in turn, went to home-plate umpire Alfonso Marquez and wanted Rogers to remove whatever it was on his hand. Tthe incident was investigated, and the substance was described as dirt. Since it was not ruled to be a foreign substance, Rogers remained in the game.

Other noteworthies: Craig Monroe's franchise-record-tying fifth home run of the postseason and Carlos Guillen's RBI double fueled a two-run opening inning against ex-Tiger Jeff Weaver.

Sex Ed Curriculum for Kindergartners

from the Cincinnati Enquirer

City schools will expand sex education curriculum to include age-appropriate lessons that begin as early as kindergarten. The initiative comes as Cleveland's teen birth rates are high but dropping - about 40 of every 1,000 girls ages 15-19 become pregnant every year, according to state data - and rates of some sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, are rising. Cases of chlamydia, the most common STD, rose 30 percent over the past five years while HIV, rarely diagnosed in adolescents, turned up in 19 Cuyahoga County teens.

Cleveland schools already offer sex education to many of their middle- and high-school students. The schools also are required to teach HIV prevention. The new classes, which begin soon, will address self-esteem and peer pressure as well as biology. Children in grades K-3 will learn about how viruses work and appropriate and inappropriate touching. Grades 4-6 will start learning about menstruation and other aspects of reproductive health.

In grades 7-12, the discussion shifts to interpersonal relationships, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy and respect for sexual orientation. Abortion will be explained and defined but not promoted, said Townsend, adding that she's unaware of other programs in the state that target every grade level.

Nebraska Enacts Toughest Smoking Ban

from WorldNetDaily

Omaha's tough new anti-smoking ordinance banning the practice in nearly all public places comes with an even tougher enforcement policy. The Nebraska city's elected leaders and police department are urging residents who see violations to call the 9-1-1 emergency system for an immediate response. Omaha banned smoking in public Oct. 2. Penalties are $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second and $500 for the third and subsequent infractions.

The ban encourages observers of infractions to pick up the phone to report the infraction – just like they would for any other crime they observe being committed. In the three weeks since the new smoking ban took effect, people have been observing the law. The new smoking ban applies to bars that serve food and those that don't have keno licenses. Some bars have applied for keno licenses to keep their smokers happy, and a few decided to give up food instead of smoking.

Greenland Ice Sheet Shrinking

from CNN

Accoding to NASA scientisits, the vast sheet of ice that covers Greenland is shrinking fast, but still not as fast as previous research indicated. Greenland's low coastal regions lost 41 cubic miles of ice each year between 2003 and 2005 from excess melting and icebergs. The high-elevation interior gained 14 cubic miles annually from excess snowfall. This is a change from the 1990s, when ice gains approximately equaled losses.

The Greenland ice sheet is considered an early indicator of the consequences of global warming, so even a slower ice melt there raises concerns.

CA Plans on Transferring Inmates to Other States

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

California will begin shipping thousands of inmates to prisons in four other states next month at a cost of more than $51 million a year. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared an emergency this month to speed up the no-bid contracts with two private companies. He said the transfers are needed to ease crowding in the nation's largest prison system, where more than 172,000 inmates are crowded into space designed for about 100,000.

More than 2,200 medium-security inmates are to be moved to Indiana, Arizona, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

This summer, Schwarzenegger proposed building two new prisons, adding cells at existing prisons and shifting thousands of inmates to community programs. The California Legislature has not acted on the $6 billion plan.

Man Arrested in NFL Terror Threat

from TSG

A 20-year-old Wisconsin man was charged in connection with an online hoax that threatened "dirty bomb" attacks this weekend at seven U.S. football stadiums. Jake Brahm was nabbed for allegedly posting the online threats, which warned that the death toll for the purported October 22 attacks (which he dubbed "America's Hiroshima") "will approach 100,000 from the initial blasts and countless other fatalities will later occur as result from radioactive fallout."

Brahm, a grocery store clerk, surrendered in Milwaukee on the criminal charge, which was filed in New Jersey, home to Giants Stadium, one of the supposed attack targets. Brahm apparently penned the threats as part of a harebrained contest with another man to see who could circulate the scariest Internet threat. This behavior may not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Brahm's other online activity via MySpace and an ambitious blog on which he recorded all of his 2006 masturbatory activity.

Tigers Loose Game 1

Justin Verlander kicked off Game 1 of the 102nd World Series for the Tigers and Carlos Guillen's RBI single in the first got the Tigers started, but they dropped Game 1 to St. Louis. Cardinals' Rookie Anthony Reyes pitched into the ninth inning, while Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen both homered to lead the Cardinals to a 7-2 rout of Detroit in Game 1 of the the World Series. Game 2's start time is scheduled @ 7:30 PM.

Wesley Snipes Indicted

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

Actor Wesley Snipes has been indicted on eight counts of tax fraud after allegedly failing to pay nearly $12 million in taxes and failing to file tax returns for six years. Federal prosecutors in Tampa said Snipes' fraudulently claimed refunds in 1996 and 1997 on taxes already paid and then failed to file returns between 1999 and 2004.Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

In 2002, the Justice Department sued a Florida tax preparer who it said filed bogus tax refund claims, including a $7 million demand for Snipes. In 2005, South Africa refused to admit him after officials said he tried to enter the country with a forged passport.

Unusual Meteorite Found in Kansas

from CNN

Scientists located a rare meteorite in a wheat field thanks to new ground penetrating radar technology that someday might be used on Mars. The dig in Kansas Monday was likely the most documented excavation yet of a meteorite find, with researchers painstakingly using brushes and hand tools in order to preserve evidence of the impact trail and to date the event of the meteorite strike. Soil samples were also bagged and tagged, and organic material preserved for dating purposes.

Even before they had the meteorite out of the ground, the scientific experts at the site were able to debunk prevailing wisdom that the spectacular meteorite fall of Brenham, Kansas, occurred 20,000 years ago. Its location in the Pleistocene epoch soil layer puts that date closer to 10,000 years ago.

Grand Rapids to Enact Smoking Ban

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

Grand Rapids city commissioners have voted to ban smoking in public spaces and private work sites. Smoking also won't be allowed within 10 feet of building doors, windows or ventilation ducts. The ban was proposed by Mayor George Heartwell. It won't apply to bars, restaurants or hotels.

6.3 Quake Off Hawaii's West Coast

from CNN

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 was felt across Hawaii early Sunday, causing a landslide that blocked a major highway on Hawaii Island. The state Civil Defense had unconfirmed reports of injuries, but communication problems prevented more definite reports. People also were trapped in elevators on the island of Oahu. There is no report on fatalities. Reports indicate that boulders fell on highways, rock walls fell down and televisions had been knocked off of stands.

The quake occurred at 7:07 a.m. local time (1:07 p.m. ET), 10 miles north-northwest of Kailua Kona, a town on the west coast of the Big Island. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.3, along with several aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 5.8.

School Principal May be Charged in Cat Killings

from MyWay News

A school principal in Minnesota has resigned and could face felony firearm charges after he shot and killed two orphaned kittens on school property last month. Wade Pilloud, who resigned as principal of the K-12 Indus school, 40 miles west of International Falls, said he shot the kittens to spare them from starving to death after their mother was killed in an animal trap. He said the shooting, which occurred on school grounds, endangered no one.

Pilloud could be charged with felony possession of a firearm on school property and reckless discharge of a firearm, a misdemeanor. The district put Pilloud on administrative leave after the incident. Flynn said Pilloud agreed to an undisclosed settlement and resigned.

Married Couples are Now Minority

from the New York Times

Married couples, whose numbers have been declining for decades as a proportion of American households, have finally slipped into a minority, according to an analysis of new census figures. The American Community Survey, released this month by the Census Bureau, found that 49.7 percent, or 55.2 million, of the nation’s 111.1 million households in 2005 were made up of married couples — with and without children — just shy of a majority and down from more than 52 percent five years earlier.

The numbers by no means suggests marriage is dead or necessarily that a tipping point has been reached. The total number of married couples is higher than ever, and most Americans eventually marry. But marriage has been facing more competition. A growing number of adults are spending more of their lives single or living unmarried with partners, and the potential social and economic implications are profound.

22 Years in the Making

Magglio Ordonez wiped away the memories of the Tigers' 119-loss 2003 season with one swing. His three-run walk-off home run in the ninth inning sent the Comerica Park crowd into a frenzy and Detroit to a 6-3 ALCS-clinching win in Game 4 on Saturday. After years of wandering through the baseball wilderness, the Detroit Tigers have reached the Promised Land: the World Series. They won the American League Championship Series with a determined, gritty performance typical of the team they've become.

Magglio Ordonez

The last time the Tigers were in the World Series, Reagan was in the White House and Prince was rocking Walkmans. After 22 years, the Tigers, who swept the A's with a 6-3 win on are back. Magglio Ordonez's solo home run tied the game in the sixth inning. His walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth sent the Tigers into the World Series.

Secret Service Investigates Teen's MySpace

from AP

Upset by the war in Iraq, Julia Wilson vented her frustrations with President Bush last spring on her Web page on MySpace.com. She posted a picture of the president, scrawled "Kill Bush" across the top and drew a dagger stabbing his outstretched hand. She later replaced her page on the social-networking site after learning in her eighth-grade history class that such threats are a federal offense.

It was too late.

Federal authorities had found the page and placed Wilson on their checklist. They finally reached her this week in her molecular biology class. The 14-year-old freshman was taken out of class Wednesday and questioned for about 15 minutes by two Secret Service agents. The incident has upset her parents, who said the agents should have included them when they questioned their daughter. The teenager said the agents' questioning led her to tears.

Her mother, Kirstie Wilson, said two agents showed up at the family's home Wednesday afternoon, questioned her and promised to return once her daughter was home from school.
After they left, Kirstie Wilson sent a text message to her daughter's cell phone, telling her to come straight home: "There are two men from the secret service that want to talk with you. Apparently you made some death threats against president bush

Moments later, Kirstie Wilson received another text message from her daughter saying agents had pulled her out of class. Julia Wilson said the agents threatened her by saying she could be sent to juvenile hall for making the threat.

Spokesmen for the Secret Service in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., said they could not comment on the case.

Burrito Drug Smuggling Attempt Foiled

from The Smoking Gun

A New Mexico woman was arrested last week after she allegedly hid a hypodermic needle filled with heroin inside a Taco Bell burrito and tried to deliver the contraband to a friend held in a city jail. Rosemary Gonzales, 42, was nabbed last Friday after a jail guard at the Espanola lockup discovered the hypo hidden amongst the contents of a Burrito Supreme (friends are allowed to bring food to inmates at the small jail). The syring was nestled inside a flour tortilla along with beans, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and a tangy red sauce. She was charged with bringing contraband into a prison, a felony, and jailed in lieu of $5000 cash bond.

Joel Zumaya Injured

The news on Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya was about as good as manager Jim Leyland said he could expect. But right now, they have no expectation on when the triple-digit fastball pitcher will be able to pitch again. Results of an MRI exam and an ultrasound conducted on Thursday morning confirmed inflammation in his right wrist and forearm, which is "very similar" to the injury he suffered in September. Zumaya missed a week with the injury last month, but that timetable has no bearing on how much time he'll miss now.

Without Zumaya, the bullpen becomes more a committee role in filling the innings leading up to Todd Jones in the ninth. Chief among the other relievers is Fernando Rodney, who struck out the side in the eighth inning on Wednesday to preserve what ended up an 8-5 win.

Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers picked up where he left off against the Yanks, throwing 7 1/3 shutout innings as his Tigers took a 3-0 ALCS lead. Also, Craig Monroe smacked a solo homer in the win.

Alexis Gomez

Alexis Gomez hit a two-run single and a two-run homer as the Tigers defeated the A's, 8-5, in Game 2 of the ALCS. All but one of Detroit's runs came courtesy of the Nos. 7-9 batters: Craig Monroe (two RBIs), Gomez (four) and Brandon Inge (one). Game 3, scheduled for an 8:00 PM start tonight, has been postponed for a 4:00 start on Friday.

Brandon Inge

Brandon Inge came within a triple of hitting the first cycle in playoff history, and Nate Robertson tossed five shutout innings, leading the Tigers to a 5-1 victory over the A's in Game 1. Inge homered and hit an RBI double, and Pudge added a solo homer as the Tigers have come up big against the A's in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series. Game 2 is scheduled for Wed at 8:00 PM with coverage on FOX (Detroit TV 2).

Reflection Nebulas in Orion

from NASA (click picture for larger size)

In the vast Orion Molecular Cloud complex, several bright blue nebulas are particularly apparent. Pictured above are two of the most prominent reflection nebulas - dust clouds lit by the reflecting light of bright embedded stars. The more famous nebula is M78, near the image center, cataloged over 200 years ago. On the upper left is the lesser known NGC 2071. The Orion complex lies about 1500 light-years distant, contains the Orion and Horsehead nebulas, and covers much of the constellation of Orion.

Mother Uses Baby as a Weapon

from CNN

A woman used her 4-week-old baby as a weapon in a domestic dispute, swinging the infant through the air and striking her boyfriend with the child. The baby boy was in serious but stable condition Monday at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Chytoria Graham, 27, of Erie, was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and simple assault. She was held Monday in the Erie County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail. The infant, whose name was not released, suffered a fractured skull and some bleeding in the brain, authorities said. His head hit Graham's boyfriend, the baby's father. Authorities also removed four other children from Graham's home and placed them with the Erie County Office of Children and Youth.

UPDATE Ben & Jerry's Flavor Creation Contest

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

Do you think Ritz crackers belong in ice cream? The makers of Ben and Jerry's ice cream apparently do, because they've awarded a Jacksonville, Fla., woman the top prize in their make-a-flavor contest for her cracker idea. Tasha Callister's "Puttin' on a Ritz" features a mixture of crushed, chocolate-covered Ritz cracker sandwiches filled with caramel, then mixed in vanilla ice cream with caramel and Ritz cracker swirls.

The contest judges especially liked the flavor's playful name. Ben and Jerry's will make enough "Puttin' on a Ritz" ice cream for an ice cream party for Callister, but they have no plans to put it into production.

More than 40,000 people submitted ideas for the contest.

UPDATE Karr

from Drudge

San Francisco police say they stopped a limo carrying John Karr after the one-time JonBenet Ramsey suspect was spotted wandering near a school and peering in a window.

Police say the received a call from the Convent of the Sacred Heart school, where Karr worked briefly as a teacher's aide in 2000. School employees told police the limo carrying Karr and two producers for ABC's Good Morning America, stopped near the school. Karr got out, strolled the sidewalk and approached the school's door. Police say no laws were broken, but they did take the names of Karr and the producers.

Karr was released from jail Thursday after Sonoma County authorities lost critical evidence in a five-year-old child pornography case against him and it was dismissed. ABC is preparing to have John Karr retrace some of his 'child' moments for a possible November Sweeps special.

First Spinach, Now Lettuce

Less than a week after the FDA lifted its warning on fresh spinach grown in California's Salinas Valley, a popular brand of lettuce grown there was recalled Sunday over concerns about E. coli contamination. The lettuce does not appear to have caused any illnesses. The lettuce scare comes amid other federal warnings that some brands of spinach, bottled carrot juice and recent shipments of beef could cause grave health risks — including paralysis, respiratory failure and death. Executives ordered the recall after learning that irrigation water may have been contaminated with E. coli.

So far, company investigators have not found E. coli bacteria in the lettuce itself.

The recall covers green leaf lettuce purchased in grocery stores Oct. 3-6 in Arizona, California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. It was also sold to distributors in those states who may have sold it to restaurants or institutions. The recalled lettuce was packaged as "Green Leaf 24 Count, waxed carton," and "Green Leaf 18 Count, cellophane sleeve, returnable carton." Packaging is stamped with lot code 6SL0024.

Jeremy Bonderman

Early offense led Jeremy Bonderman, who helped the Tigers earn a meeting with the A's in the ALCS. The team that couldn't beat the Royals in three tries to win the American League Central overwhelmed the Yankees to win its AL Division Series instead. While Jeremy Bonderman retired the first 15 batters he faced, Craig Monroe's two-run homer propelled Detroit to its largest offensive attack of the series, sending the Tigers to an 8-3 victory on Saturday night and their first postseason series victory since the 1984 World Series.

Though Bonderman won 14 games and produced the first 200-strikeout season in 19 years from a Detroit pitcher, he was the true wild card in the AL Wild Card's blueprint for beating the Bronx Bombers. He lasted 8 1/3 innings, surrendering two runs on five hits. A Magglio Ordonez solo homer and Monroe's two-run shot down the left-field line paced a three-run second inning before Ivan Rodriguez's RBI single knocked out New York starter Jaret Wright in the third.
Four straight hits off Cory Lidle leading off the bottom of the sixth, including an Ordonez run-scoring single and Carlos Guillen's RBI double, sent the Tigers rolling and a sellout crowd of 43,126 into anticipation.

Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers made his end of the duel with fellow veteran Randy Johnson one for the ages, shutting down the Yankees and moving the Tigers one win away from a berth in the AL Championship Series. Sean Casey and Curtis Granderson had two RBIs. As a result, the Tigers' 6-0 win put them to within a win of their first postseason series victory since the 1984 World Series.

"The Departed": 4 Scoops

Martin Scorsese's The Departed drops into the current movie scene like a fireball outshining a field full of flickering matches. Running a full 149 minutes, its energy eventually flags; the ending plays as if everyone just wanted to go home. But until then The Departed moves with a fury, switching and leaping throughout.

Based on Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's superb, taut 100-minute Hong Kong action film Infernal Affairs (2002), the story follows two cops/criminals. The first, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), works for a Boston gangster, Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), and operates as a mole within the police department. The second, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), is an undercover cop who poses as a member of Costello's gang. Both rats have burrowed so deeply undercover that their true identities hang by a tenuous thread; they don't even know each other. Sullivan answers only to Costello, while Costigan secretly reports to the kindly Queenan (Martin Sheen) and the cranky Dignam (Mark Wahlberg).

Nicholson nearly steals the entire film with his hilariously offensive tidbits of wisdom. Stellar performances by Damon and DiCaprio as well; one breathtaking moment simply has Sullivan and Costigan "meeting" for the first time over cell phones; they're framed exactly the same, shocked silent by fear and anticipation.

Carlos Guillen

Curtis Granderson tripled home the winning run in the seventh, one inning after Carlos Guillen (pictured) tied it with a solo homer. The Tigers' 4-3 win evened the series at one game apiece. Things definitely looked good for the Yankees in the fourth inning after they surged in front on Johnny Damon's three-run homer to the upper deck in right. But the Tigers rallied off Yankees starter Mike Mussina, tying the series heading back to Detroit.

Ancient Reptile Remains Found

from MyWay News

Researchers on Thursday announced the discovery of the remains of a short-necked plesiosaur, a prehistoric marine reptile the size of a bus, that they believe is the first complete skeleton ever found. The 150 million year old remains of the 33-foot ocean going predator were found in August on the remote Svalbard Islands of the Arctic, the University of Oslo announced.

Fragments of plesiosaur have been found elsewhere, including in England, Russia, and Argentina, but researcher Joern Harald Hurum said the partially fossilized Svalbard find appeared to be the first whole example.

The voracious plesiosaurs were like the Tyrannosaurus Rex of the oceans, expect its head is much bigger. About 6.5 feet long, compared to about 5.25 feet for Tyrannosaurus Rex. The reptile was as long as a bus, with teeth larger than cucumbers in a head that could swallow an adult human whole.

UPDATE Karr Case Dismissed

from CNN

A judge dismissed child pornography charges against former JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect John Mark Karr after prosecutors said they didn't have enough evidence to take the case to trial. The Sonoma County Superior Court judge ordered Karr released immediately.

So ended Karr's strange, bringing two-month odyssey through the U.S. criminal justice system. It began when he was extradited from Thailand on suspicion of killing the 6-year-old beauty queen. Karr, 41, was returned to California last month to face the five-year-old pornography case after DNA evidence cleared him of killing the girl in her Boulder, Colorado, home in 1996.

The pornography case fell apart almost as quickly, as investigators admitted losing vital computer evidence that was seized from Karr in April 2001 when he was working as a substitute teacher in Sonoma and Napa counties. Defense lawyers tried twice unsuccessfully to get the charges dismissed and were seeking to have evidence barred from trial when prosecutors gave up.

Star Trek Auction

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

It looked like any other auction, until you noticed the guy with pointed Vulcan ears.
Christie's boldly went where no auction house has ever gone before -- kicking off a three-day sale of Star Trek memorabilia. From costumes and props to blueprints and furniture, the auction featured more than 1,000 lots from the archives of CBS Paramount Television Studios.

The bidding started quickly, with battles taking place on some of the early lots. Bids were accepted on the floor, on the phone and on the Internet. A captain's chair once belonging to Jean-Luc Picard from the bridge of the Starship Enterprise sold for a gavel price of $52,000 -- far beyond the presale estimate of $9,000. The chair itself is covered with burgundy-dyed imitation leather and features simulated control panels in the armrests -- hardly high-end or high-tech. But the cheesiness factor didn't scare off devoted fans of the show, who filled the midtown Manhattan auction.

Got Toys for XMas '06

Toy Wishes, a trade publication, is out with its list of this year's expected hot sellers ranked from least to most expensive.

10. Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses (Mattel Inc., dolls, $24.99; horse & carriage, $32.99). This playset, which includes a full line of dolls, is inspired by Barbie as star in the latest DVD "Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses." Age 3 and up.

9. Bratz Forever Diamondz (MGA Entertainment, $29.99 each). Each of the Bratz dolls are outfitted with faux diamonds, and each doll comes with a real diamond pendant that girls can wear themselves. Ages 6 and up.

8. Monopoly Here & Now (Hasbro Inc., $29.99). This limited edition of this classic game reflects today's current real estate prices and features iconic properties like Times Square and Rodeo Drive. The railroads have been replaced with airports. Ages 8 and up.

7. Speed Stacks Stackpack (Play Along Toys, a division of Jakks Pacific Inc., $39.99). This game challenges kids to stack and restack specially designed cups in precise formations. It comes with competition-ready cups, an official StackMat, timer and instructional DVD. Ages 4 and up.

6. T.M.X. Elmo (Mattel's Fisher-Price, $39.99). In this new version, timed with the 10th anniversary of Tickle Me Elmo, Elmo's squeaky laugh and body movements grow more pronounced with three successive tickles. Ages 18 months and up.

5. Digi Makeover (Radica Games Ltd., $59.99). This high-tech makeover system includes a built-in camera and a touch pad. Tweens can just plug the unit into their TV and snap a picture. Children are now ready to experiment with all kinds of new looks. Ages 8 and up.

4. Fly Wheels XPV (Jakks-Pacific Inc., $59.99). This lightweight radio-controlled vehicle can take off and land from any hard surface and then soar more than 20 stories into the air. Ages 8 and up.

3. Kids Tough Digital Camera (Mattel's Fisher-Price, $69.99). This built-in 1.3 inch LCD screen holds up to 60 pictures (expandable with separate memory card) It includes big buttons and easy controls. The camera can be connected by USB to the computer for downloading photos to a PC or Macintosh computer. Ages 3 and up.

2. Lego Mindstorms NXT (Lego Systems Inc., $249). This robotic kit enables the user to create an even more powerful robot than the original Mindstorms introduced in 1998. Ages 10 and up.

1. WII (Nintendo, $250). This game console (pronounced "We") uses a unique TV-style remote controller that can be waved around like a tennis racket to manipulate action on the screen. Ages 6 and up.

Human-Rabbit Hybrid to be Created

from The Evening Standard (UK)

Scientists are planning to create a "frankenrabbit" by fusing together human cells with a rabbit egg. It is hoped the "chimeric" embryos, which would be 99.9 per cent human and 0.1 per cent rabbit, could lead to breakthroughs in stem cell research which could one day cure diseases such as Alzheimer's or spinal cord injury. The embryos will allow scientists to perfect stem cell creation techniques without using human eggs.

Tigers Can't Overcome Yank's Game 1 Onslaught

Nate Robertson gave up six straight hits in a five-run third that set the tone in the Tigers' Game 1 loss. The Tigers fought back with three runs in the fifth, getting a solo homer by Craig Monroe to open the inning and RBI doubles by Placido Polanco and Sean Casey. Derek Jeter became the sixth player in postseason history to collect five hits in a game, leading the Yankees to an 8-4 win over the Tigers in Game 1 of the ALDS. His final hit of the game was a solo homer in the eighth inning.

UPDATE Anna Nicole Paternity Allegations

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

Anna Nicole Smith's ex-boyfriend is suing her, demanding that a DNA test be given to prove he's the father of her baby. Larry Birkhead wants Smith and her daughter to return to California to take the test. Birkhead's attorney, Debra Opri, said Smith will be served with court papers today in the Bahamas, where she's been since giving birth to Dannie Lynn Hope.

Smith's attorney Howard K. Stern has also claimed to be the father of the baby. The 38-year-old former Playboy playmate has been in the Bahamas mourning the death of her 20-year-old son, Daniel Wayne Smith.

FDA Authorizes Research into Pot Patch/Gum

from Ezine Articles

Doctors have long known that marijuana can be useful in the treatment of emaciated and anorexic patients from diseases like chemotherapy and AIDS. Many doctors have and still prescribe marijuana - yes it can be obtained legally through a prescription. Now, the government is doing research into a patch or possibly gum, along with the Marinol pill and other similar treatments to treat more malodys like gulf war syndrome, migraine headaches and similar.

The Food and Drug Administration has recently granted several researchers from large universities and research centers from Harvard to Maryland approval to study the effects of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) in various delivery methods. Some of these oral methods have recently been approved and released for treatment of chemotherapy and AIDS related weightloss issues. They, along with injectible and patch and gum or lozenge methods of delivery are now being researched for treatment of migraines, psychological associated diseases (Gulf War Syndrom and similar), and even ADD and ADHD and mental and psychological abnormalities. The list of research the U.S. Government has recently backed continues to grow.

The U.S. government is giving in to the undeniable fact that marijuana does have medicinal properties that can help patients with various conditions and that it should be made more readily available. Recently marijuana and THC have been brought down to a class 3 drug under the DEA. This will make it easier for doctors to prescribe THC and marijuana and get it to those who need it. The National Institutes of Health and an affiliate of the National Academy of Sciences have concluded that the active ingredients in marijuana can ease the pain, nausea and vomiting of cancer and AIDS. Even charitable organizations that long withstood the attributes of marijuana have changed their views.

Neil Armstrong's Grammar Vindicated

from CNN

That's one small word for astronaut Neil Armstrong, one giant revision for grammar sticklers everywhere. An Australian computer programmer says he found the missing "a" from Armstrong's famous first words from the moon in 1969, when the world heard the phrase, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Some historians and critics have dogged Armstrong for not saying the more dramatic and grammatically correct, "One small step for a man ..." in the version he transmitted to NASA's Mission Control. Without the missing "a," Armstrong essentially said, "One small step for mankind, one giant leap for mankind."

The famous astronaut has maintained he intended to say it properly and believes he did. Thanks to some high-tech sound-editing software, computer programmer Peter Shann Ford might have proved Armstrong right. Ford said he downloaded the audio recording of Armstrong's words from a NASA Web site and analyzed the statement with software that allows disabled people to communicate through computers using their nerve impulses.

In a graphical representation of the famous phrase, Ford said he found evidence that the missing "a" was spoken and transmitted to NASA.

School Issues Detention to Parents of Tardy Children

from WDIV Detroit TV 4

A NY public school is requiring detention for parents who get their kids to school late. Under the new rule at the Manhattan School for Children, parents who don't drop off their children by 8:25 a.m. have to pick up late slips from the principal's office and go to the auditorium to serve 20 minutes of detention with them.

Some tardy parents at the school, which has 660 pupils in kindergarten through eighth grade, complained the detention made them late for work. But others approved, saying they felt humiliated and won't show up late again.

Earth at Night

from NASA

click picture for larger view

Soft Tissue Found Inside T. Rex Fossil

from California Academy of Sciences

When paleontologists find fossilized dinosaur bones during a dig, they usually do everything in their power to protect them, using tools like toothbrushes to carefully unearth the bones without inflicting any damage. However, when scientists found a massive Tyrannosaurus rex thigh bone in a remote region of Montana a few months ago, they were forced to break the bone in two in order to fit it into the transport helicopter. This act of necessity revealed a startling surprise: soft tissue that had seemingly resisted fossilization still existed inside the bone. This tissue, including blood vessels, bone cells, and perhaps even blood cells, was so well preserved that it was still stretchy and flexible.

A scanning electron microscope revealed that the dinosaur blood vessels, which are 70 million years old, are virtually identical to those recovered from modern ostrich bones. The ostrich is today’s largest bird, and many paleontologists believe that birds are the living descendants of dinosaurs. Scientists may be able to confirm this evolutionary relationship if they can isolate certain proteins from the recently discovered T. rex tissue. These proteins could also help solve another puzzle: whether dinosaurs were cold-blooded like other reptiles or warm-blooded like mammals.

Does this discovery of soft dinosaur tissue mean that scientists will soon be able to clone a Tyrannosaurus rex? Probably not – most scientists believe that DNA cannot survive for 70 million years. Then again, before this discovery, most scientists believed that soft tissue could not survive for 70 million years either.