Johnstown Pennsylvania

Planet Ice to close doors

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:35:01 +0000

As the weather begins to warm up this week, so will a popular local ice rink. Planet Ice, located on Jari drive in Richland Township – Johnstown – PA, has seen its share of ups and downs over the last few years, but as of today, (although not confirmed) it’s doors seem to be closed indefinitely. It is rumored that a bank has taken over the property and may choose to re-open within a few days but no further indications have been made as to the fate of the local attraction. For 10+ years, many local patrons have attended public skating, figure skating lessons, hockey games and held birthday parties there. If it were to close It would be a major loss to our community.

Planet Ice housed groups such as:

Adult League Hockey
The Johnstown Figure Skating Club
Special Olympics
Johnstown Sitting Bulls Sled Hockey Team
Local College and High School Teams

We have found a Facebook group that is asking for any type of help from local politicians as well as any area business leaders to keep the facility open.

A quick visit to their website (http://planeticeusa.com) now yields a blank page and a call in to the facility was not answered nor returned.

You can also read a few related articles below:

Feel free to leave your feedback and additional comments below as this story grows and we will do our best to keep you updated. Lets all hope that this place can re-open soon!

Polls Find Rubio In Nearly Insurmountable Lead For Senate

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:59 +0000

Kris Alingod – AHN Contributor

Tallahassee, FL, United States (AHN) – Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio has pulled ahead of Gov. Charlie Crist to take his first commanding lead in the race for the Senate, according to a new poll. The battle for conservative voters continues, but the race took a slightly humorous turn this week after Crist blasted his rival’s fiscal record by suggesting that Rubio waxes his back.

According to Public Policy Polling, Rubio has 60 percent overall support while the governor trails with 28 percent.

Crist leads 49 percent to 36 percent among moderates. He only has 17 percent support among conservatives, while Rubio has 71 percent. Among liberals, Rubio has 57 percent and Crist 43 percent.

The governor’s approval rating has plummeted. From more than 70 percent a year ago, he now only has the approval of 29 percent of voters. Fifty-six percent disapprove of his job performance.

Rubio, meanwhile, is viewed favorably by 49 percent and negatively by 23 percent.

A survey by GOP pollster Fabrizio McLaughlin & Associates in January had Rubio leading by 14 points. The same month, Quinnipiac University had the two neck-and-neck, with Rubio ahead by a statistically insignificant three points. But the new year, and the two polls, had the once relatively unknown candidate in first place for the first time against a governor who until then enjoyed immense popularity nationwide.

Crist was immediately endorsed by party leaders when he launched his campaign last year. But Rubio, 38, later received endorsements from Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), the Family Research Council and the Club for Growth.

The popularity of Rubio among conservatives stems in part from the governor’s support for the $787 billion economic stimulus. Crist last year joined President Barack Obama in a town hall meeting, calling for bipartisan support for a stimulus and embracing the newly-inaugurated president, a gesture that ignited Republican ire.

Crist has been warning voters that his rival’s conservative record is merely “rhetoric.” His website features a document, complete with footnotes, comparing Rubio’s record with his “promises” on issues such as cutting spending and protecting the 2nd Amendment.

“Marco Rubio says he never voted for a tax increase… but the record shows he voted for the largest tax increase in Florida history…for a 41 percent state sales tax increase,” says the campaign document.

Crist previously launched a web video accusing his rival of changing his stance on the stimulus, amnesty for illegal immigrants and cap and trade. This past week, he gave a series of interviews and focused his attacks on Rubio’s use of a Republican Party of Florida credit card for personal expenses.

It was the governor’s speculation, however, on $130 Rubio spent in a high-end barbershop that stirred controversy.

“He’s trying to pawn himself off as a fiscal conservative,” Crist said of Rubio on FOX. “And yet just in recent weeks, two weeks ago it has come out in news accounts he had a Republican Party of Florida credit card that he charged $130 haircut, or maybe it was a back wax – we are not sure what all he got at that place.”

The expenses were first revealed in a newspaper report last month. Rubio has admitted to spending more than $100,000 with the credit card, but has said most of the expenses were made during his official duties for the GOP.

He also blames former state party leaders for the report. Former Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer was ousted early this year allegedly for his support for Crist’s centrist agenda.

Rubio and Crist are seeking the seat of former Sen. Mel Martinez, a Republican who chose not to complete his term. Four Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre, are in the race.

The primaries will be held on Aug. 24. The special election coincides with the mid-terms in November.

Disney Ends Give A Day, Get A Day Promo

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:58 +0000

Hansen Sinclair – AHN Reporter

Lake Buena Vista, FL, United States (AHN) – Disney theme parks are ending their “Give a Day, Get a Day” promotion after successfully inspiring 1 million people to volunteer in their communities.

Disney accomplished its goal by offering a free one-day pass to any one of its theme parks in the United States in 2010, according to the HandsOn Network. The network worked in tandem with Disney on the venture.

The program began Jan. 1. Since then, registration has been closed and the program has come to an end, according to reports.

According to the rules of the program, in order to receive the one-day pass, volunteers had to complete a project approved by Disney. Passes were valid at any Walt Disney Resort in Florida or Disneyland Resort in California.

Volunteers who received the passes have until Dec. 15 of this year to use them, reports stated.

Man Pleads Guilty To Kiss Causing Airport Security Breach

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:58 +0000

Hansen Sinclair – AHN Reporter

NJ, Newark, United States (AHN) – A New Jersey man who administered the kiss that caused chaos pleaded guilty Tuesday to defiant trespass, according to statements from his attorney.

Haisong Jiang, 28, breached airport security in early January by crossing a roped off area to give his girlfriend one final kiss before she got on her airplane, causing dozens of flights to be delayed and thousands of people to be rescanned, according to reports.

Jiang apologized publicly outside a courthouse, saying it was a mistake and he had learned his lesson. His attorney, Eric B. Bruce, said the offense was not severe and would not affect Jiang’s immigration status in the United States.

Jiang, a Rutgers University Ph.D. candidate from China, entered a secured part of Newark Liberty International Airport by ducking underneath a rope Jan. 3 after the TSA officer who was supposed to be monitoring the area left his post.

Terminal C was closed for hours and thousands of passengers were delayed from getting on their flights.

Jiang was ordered to pay a $500 fine and $158 in court fees as part of the terms and conditions of his plea deal. He will also have to complete 100 hours of community service. Although the charge will appear on his record, it can be erased after five years, reports said.

Jiang and his girlfriend, who resides in California, are still together.

"Last Tree" Not Payment Enough To Keep Man Out Of Jail

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:57 +0000

Hansen Sinclair – AHN Reporter

Oklahoma City, OK, United States (AHN) – A man who walked into a police station claiming to possess the “last tree in the universe” now faces destruction of property and drug charges, according to reports.

Oklahoma County deputies reported Rondell Bailey entered the station with a stick that he tried to give to officers as his payment for wrecking his truck in a parking lot close by. He told officers it was the last tree on Earth, and wanted officers to have it so any charges against him would be dropped.

Deputies refused the stick as payment.

Reports stated Bailey then went outside, picked up a brick and threw it through a jail window, at which time he was arrested.

Deputies searched his truck and found white powder thought to be methamphetamine.

Trade Chief Kirk Notes Google-China Tug Of War, Commits On Doha Round

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:57 +0000

Tejinder Singh – AHN Correspondent

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Tuesday reiterated President Barack Obama’s policy declarations relating to U.S. exports, new jobs, fundamental commitment to the developmental premise of the Doha Round and a crackdown on intellectual property piracy including disputes of Internet providers with China.

Kirk addressed a luncheon event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, saying, “President Obama has set a very ambitious goal for us, to double our exports in the next five years. If we do so, that can support up to an additional 2 million new jobs here in America. He’s also asked agencies across the federal government to take part in a national export initiative to help Americans take advantage of these export opportunities.”

“Today, exports account for more than one in every $10 of America’s income,” he said, adding, “Exports support millions of jobs across the country. And in the last half of 2009 exports alone accounted for more than half of all U.S. economic growth.”

He hoped, “In 2010, as the world economy recovers, export-driven growth opportunities will continue to multiply.”

Kirk said, “Beginning with frank negotiations and concluding in legal remedies when necessary, our enforcement efforts have already saved jobs in the American tire industry, won direct distribution rights for American content companies in China and challenged unjustified restrictions on U.S. exports of agricultural products.”

Noting that Obama administration is fundamentally committed to the developmental premise of the Doha Round, Kirk said that advanced developing countries such as China and India need to come in the same spirit as the United States for its success.

“President Obama, perhaps, more than any president we have had in recent times, is fundamentally committed to the developmental premise of Doha.”

“So we take very seriously the president’s challenge to us to work collaboratively with our partners to try to meet the imperative, at least the stretch goal from our leaders at the G-20 summit, to bring the Doha Agreement to a close,” he said.

Asking the partners to come and sit down at the negotiating table, Kirk said, “I’m proud of the work that we have engaged in–as shorthanded as we’ve been–to change the negotiating paradigm in Geneva. But we especially need these advanced developing economies, such as Brazil, China, India, South Africa, to come to the table in the same spirit.”

Singling out Australian statements for praise, Kirk said, “Australia and Canada and the EU have been very helpful, very open, but Australia in particular, and their trade minister Simon Crean has been very helpful in helping us to convince our colleagues, our partners within the WTO that we have nothing to fear by putting everything on the table.”

“We believe engaging not only horizontally, across all sectors, but supplementing that with these sustained bilateral talks between the developed and advanced developing economies is the only way to get us across the finish line,” Kirk said.

Conceding that there is “certainly a possibility” that the US could be blamed for a failure of the Doha Round; Kirk said: “But rather than operating from that paradigm of blame avoidance, the president has told us this is important. If we get this right, this is a huge shot in the arm to the world’s economy.”

He said: “So we think it’s worth staying at the table, and we’d rather focus on moving us to a position that we’re in a stronger, more productive environment rather than worrying about who to blame if it doesn’t pass.

Referring to last year’s Copenhagen summit and the difficulties to bring 153 of the most diverse economies in the world to a consensus, Kirk said, “So I don’t believe we should give up. A lot of good work has been done, but we shouldn’t be afraid of honestly confronting some of the gaps that exist.”

On the ongoing controversial subject of relations between Google and China, the trade chief said, “We are still dialoguing not just with Google, but with other Internet providers, to make sure we fully understand what is happening in China.”

At the same time, U.S. trade officials are “trying to make our own determination whether we believe in fact this is not WTO compliant and if the best resolution is to go forward and file an appeal,” Kirk said.

Kirk said trying to resolve the issue through bilateral forums such as the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) was “much more preferable than the uncertain path of what can be a two-, three-, four-year legal battle in the WTO.”

U.S. companies cannot wait that long for a solution in the current economic environment, but Kirk warned that the United States will not hesitate to go to the WTO when that is the only solution it has left.

Kirk noted Google and China have been in “very intense negotiations” since the company’s threat to leave.

On the intellectual property matters, Kirk expressed hope that China would decide soon to change “indigenous innovation” rules favoring companies that develop the intellectual property for new products in China.

“That kind of behavior is a plague on international commerce,” he said. “We are working with trading partners around the world to develop a new anti-counterfeiting trade agreement that will support America’s competitive advantage in cutting edge industries and protect the intellectual property that goes into new products and new services.”

He added, “Intellectual property theft doesn’t just hurt American creators and investors. It can also harm the unwitting consumers of potentially harmful counterfeit goods.”

“When our trading partners violate their labor obligations in our trade agreements or deny foreign workers their internationally recognized rights, that tilts the playing field away from American businesses and workers,” he said.

He added, “Successful trade policy is made when we get beyond the idea that new market openings and enforcement are somehow oppositional or that trade must always be a battle between international interests and domestic ones, business versus labor, trade versus jobs.”

Kirk also stressed the importance of the healthcare and education policies of the Obama administration, saying, “Reforming our healthcare system will help every American business, whether it’s large or small. I won’t go into an exhaustive debate about healthcare policy, but I can tell you, none of us can accept a default in which the result is that healthcare costs rise by 70 percent over the next ten years.”

“We also have to continue to invest in our education system. And President Obama and [Education] Secretary [Arne] Duncan have directed more resources through the American Recovery Act towards investment in higher education than at any period of time in our history,” he said.

Kirk advocated for an American infrastructure upgrade, saying, “And we also have to invest in America’s core infrastructure. Not one of these things alone will solve all of our problems, but if we do them in a collaborative, smart, thoughtful way, we can help to fuel this economic recovery and create the good jobs that Americans so badly need and deserve.”

Members Of Right-To-Die Group Indicted

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:56 +0000

Kris Alingod – AHN Contributor

Forsyth, GA, United States (AHN) – Four members of Final Exit Network, a non-profit group that aids terminally ill people who wish to commit suicide, were indicted Tuesday in Georgia.

A grand jury in Forsyth County indicted the group’s former president, Thomas Goodwin, its ex-medical director Lawrence Egbert, regional director Nicholas Alec Sheridan, and a member, Clair Blehr. Each was charged with offering assistance in the commission of a suicide, tampering with evidence and violating the state’s anti-racketeering laws.

All the defendants except Sheridan were arrested in February 2009 by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for allegedly assisting the suicide of a 58-year-old man, John Celmer, the previous year.

The bureau said it confirmed the suicide process during a sting operation that involved an undercover agent posing as someone who needed guidance about suicide.

Celmer is believed to have died of helium inhalation. His family had raised suspicions that his death was an assisted suicide, prompting authorities to begin an investigation of the Final Exit Network in June 2008.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, a member of Final Exit Network who seeks to end his life is assigned an “exit guide” and instructed to buy two helium tanks of a specific size and brand. The member is also told to purchase a specific type of hood called the “exit bag.”

After the member dies, the exit guide and a “senior guide” who is on hand for the death, remove and discard material used for the suicide.

Physician-assisted suicide is illegal in Georgia and all other states except Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Final Exit Network is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that promotes the right to a dignified death and the use of living wills, powers of attorney, do-not-resuscitate orders and other legal instruments that make clear the intentions of an individual.

“Mentally competent adults have a basic human right to end their lives when they suffer from a fatal or irreversible illness or intractable pain, when their quality of life is personally unacceptable, and the future holds only hopelessness and misery,” the group says on its website. “We do not encourage anyone to end their life, do not provide the means to do so, and do not actively assist in a person’s death. We do, however, support them when medical circumstances warrant their decision.”

Gabourey Sidibe Lands Showtime "The Big C" Gig

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:54 +0000

Anne Lu – Celebrity News Service Contributor

Los Angeles, CA, United States (CNS) – Despite what Howard Stern thinks, Gabourey Sidibe has found life after “Precious.” The Academy Award nominee has signed on to star in the new Showtime comedy “The Big C.”

The 26-year-old newcomer will be starring with Laura Linney and Oliver Platt in the new dramedy about a cancer-stricken housewife (Linney) who gets her life back on track after learning she has terminal cancer. Platt will be playing her immature husband, while Sidibe will be playing a smart student in her class.

Shooting will kick off in May in time for its premiere on the cable network in the late summer.

Stern recently slammed the curvy actress on his radio show, saying “everyone’s pretending she’s a part of show business and she’s never going to be in another movie. She really should have gotten the Best Actress award because she’s never going to have another shot.”

But she is going to be in another movie. Sidibe will also be seen in “Yelling to the Sky” later this year opposite Zoe Kravitz.

Study: Obesity Associated With Higher Risk Of Death From Colon Cancer

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:54 +0000

David Goodhue – AHN Reporter

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN) – Overweight colon cancer patients have poorer outcomes after their cancer is removed compared to thinner patients, according to University of Texas and Mayo Clinic researchers.

For their study, the researchers evaluated 4,381 people with stage 2 and 3 colon cancer who had gone through chemotherapy in clinical trials. Twenty percent of the participants were obese.

The researchers said that in men, obesity was associated with a 35-percent increased risk of death compared to non-obese patients. The rate was lower in women, but the researchers said this was likely due to obese women being less at risk of developing colon cancer than men.

About 150,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer every year in the United States.

The study is published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

Researchers Discover Men Die Sooner, But Remain Sexually Active Longer Than Women

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:53 +0000

David Goodhue – AHN Reporter

Chicago, IL, United States (AHN) – While men live shorter lives, on average, than women, their time of being sexually active is about five years longer, according to University of Chicago researchers.

The researchers said that at age 55, men can expect another 15 years of sexual activity, while women of the same age should expect less than 11 more years.

But the researchers said in a statement that most women don’t seem to miss sex as much as men. They said men tend to marry younger women, die sooner and care more about sex. According to the study, 72 percent of men aged 75 to 85 have partners, but less than 40 percent of women in that age group do.

The researchers said that half of women 75 to 85 who are sexually active rate their sex lives as “good,” and only 11 percent of women in that group report thinking about sex on a regular basis.

But among men aged 57 to 85 not living with a partner, 57 percent were interested in sex.

The study is published in the online edition of the British Medical Journal.

Researchers Say Kidney Donors Live As Long As Non-Donors

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:53 +0000

David Goodhue – AHN Reporter

Baltimore, MD, United States (AHN) – A new study from Johns Hopkins University researchers suggests donating a kidney does not negatively impact life expectancy.

The researchers said that over a 15-year period, kidney donors have similar long-term survival rates compared to healthy people who are not donors.

More than 6,000 people donate kidneys every year to help someone with end-stage kidney disease.

The researchers examined the outcomes of 80,347 kidney donors from 1994 to 2009 and said in a statement that they did not observe a significant difference in mortality rates when compared to a matched group of non-donors.

The study appears in the March 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Disney Gives "Rapunzel" Another Name To Draw Boy Moviegoers

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:52 +0000

Anne Lu – Celebrity News Service Contributor

Los Angeles, CA, United States (CNS) – In a bid to avoid the same mistake they made with their recent release “The Princess and the Frog,” Disney has renamed “Rapunzel” to simply “Tangled.” The film studio changed the title of their upcoming animated offering because boys don’t like to see a movie with a girl’s name in the title.

Disney learned its lesson when “The Princess and the Frog” didn’t fare well in the box office. They figured out that the reason for its poor performance was because little boys didn’t want to see a movie with a “princess” in its title.

The studio is now hoping to avoid the same mistake. It renamed the classic fairytale “Rapunzel” to a less gender-specific “Tangled” to attract boy moviegoers, according to the L.A. Times.

But the makeover did not end with the changing of its girly title. Disney also added a swashbuckling male lead named Flynn Rider to take away all the focus from its female lead.

The re-titled Rapunzel, “Tangled,” will hit theaters in November.

Hilary Duff Signs Young Adult Book Deal

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:52 +0000

Anne Lu – Celebrity News Service Contributor

Los Angeles, CA, United States (CNS) – Former Disney princess Hilary Duff is writing a series of young adult novels. The 22-year-old actress has signed on to pen her first novel for Simon & Schuster.

“Elixir,” the first title in the series, will follow the adventures of a globe-trotting photojournalist named Clea Raymond. It is set to hit bookstores in October.

Duff will also write a nonfiction book about kids dealing with divorce, a subject she is most familiar with. She has written about her own parents’ divorce in her songs “Stranger” and “Gypsy Woman.” The book is scheduled for a 2012 release.

Her writing gig comes just after she has confirmed her engagement to hockey player boyfriend Mike Comrie.

Obama Seeks More Small Business Loans for Low-Income Communities

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:51 +0000

Tom Ramstack – AHN Correspondent

Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The Obama administration is trying to prop up small businesses with more funding for community development banks.

Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget seeks $250 million in additional funding for community development financial institutions, or CDFIs, a Treasury Department official told Congress Tuesday.

“We strongly believe that further support is needed for CDFIs to help serve distressed areas manage through the economic downturn,” said Michael Barr, assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury for financial institutions.

Barr testified before the House Financial Services Committee, which is considering proposals for making federal funding more accessible to small businesses.

CDFIs are financial institutions certified by the Treasury Department to receive federal funds to be passed on to small businesses in underserved markets as loans with favorable rates.

The program is receiving $328 million from the federal government this year.

The 824 registered CDFIs are either banks, credit unions, loan funds or venture capital funds.

They were established by the Reigle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994. Since then, they have made billions of dollars available for small businesses in economically distressed communities.

More recently, as the recession that began in December 2007 fell hard on low-income households,

Officials from the CDFIs say they have lacked the federal funding they need to meet demand for the loans.

The Treasury Department wants Congress to match the money CDFIs loan to small businesses dollar-for-dollar.

The Obama administration also is asking Congress for $50 million for a “Bank on USA” program to counsel low-income persons on improving their finances and credit scores.

Barr said the program would promote “much needed private sector innovation.”

A separate proposal would make $25 million in food assistance available through CDFIs. The proposal also would use tax credits to provide $375 million for low-cost, healthy food in low-income areas.

Financial industry witnesses at the congressional hearing said CDFIs lack the funding to do everything needed for underprivileged communities during the current economic downturn.

William Bynum, Enterprise Corporation of the Delta chief executive officer, said a recent survey showed demand for loans has increased in recent months for 56 percent of CDFIs.

In the last fiscal year, 200 qualified applicants for the loans were rejected because the CDFI program ran out of money, Bynum told the congressional committee.

Bynum’s credit union serves Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

With prolonged unemployment hurting rural areas severely, the need for small business financing is growing, other witnesses said.

“Many times, we have almost an absence of access to capital,” said L. Ray Moncrief, chief operating officer for the CDFI Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation. “We are faced with stark poverty.”

Judith Kennedy, National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders chief executive officer, said Congress needs to update definitions in the CDFI legislation to avoid confusion over who is eligible.

“I think we need to streamline the application process,” she said.

PETA Pulls High-Flying Stunt; Seahttp://newsbahn.com/?rm=edit;type=Article;id=10024265#World Pushes Back

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:51 +0000

Anthony Jones – Celebrity News Service Reporter

Orlando, FL, United States (CNS) – Just weeks following the tragedy at SeaWorld Orlando where trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed by one of the park’s whales, PETA is sending a message to the theme park company and its visitors. It used to an airplane to send the fly-over message: “Sea World – Let Whales and Dolphins Out of Prison.”

With the banner, PETA is protesting what they call “cruel and deadly confinement of marine mammals.” The banner flew over the park on Tuesday during performances of the show “Believe,” the show which left trainer Brancheau dead. The shows at the SeaWorld parks across the country were dedicated to Brancheau on their return from a short hiatus.

“SeaWorld is an amusement park, but there’s nothing amusing about denying marine mammals the right to live in peace with their families in the world’s oceans–where they belong,” said PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk in a statement. “Our sky-bound message to visitors will be loud and clear: Please don’t patronize parks that rely on animal suffering and risk the lives of their employees just to turn a profit.”

SeaWorld pushed back to the message in a statement on Tuesday as well, asking how many animals PETA could have helped by focusing their resources and dollars on them instead of their theatrics. “While PETA was flying around our park today, SeaWorld animal care specialists and veterinarians were rescuing a manatee in the Desoto Canal near Satellite Beach, Florida,” representatives for SeaWorld said. “Right now our animal care teams are treating more than 50 rescued wild animals, including representatives of three endangered or threatened species, and preparing those animals for return to the wild.

“In just the past nine weeks SeaWorld parks have rescued and treated nearly 1,000 animals and most have already been returned to the ocean,” the park’s rep continued. “SeaWorld rejects every charge made by PETA. Our parks will continue to do what they have always done: bring marine animals to our guests in ways that are enriching, inspiring, educational and entertaining.”

The death of trainer Dawn Brancheau is the second fatal incident at SeaWorld Orlando. In 1999, a man apparently stayed in the Orlando park after hours and avoided security before jumping in the animal’s tank where he was killed. Later, it was revealed he died of hypothermia. SeaWorld Orlando opened in 1973. SeaWorld parks are also open in San Antonio, TX and San Diego, CA.

EPA Administrator Jackson Predicts Congress Passing Cap-Trade Bill

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:49 +0000

Tejinder Singh – AHN Correspondent

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – Congress will pass a Cap and Trade bill cutting carbon emissions through industrial trade-offs, announced Lisa Jackson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at a Luncheon event at the National Press Club on Monday.

Jackson said the drive for cleaner air and water has wide support. “Everyone wants a clean environment Ten out of 10 Republicans want clean air to breathe. Ten out of 10 Democrats think safe water is important. Ask all 20, and they’d actually agree.” 

“When the air is dirty, or the water is contaminated, and people are getting sick, those kinds of health costs are multiplied by millions of families,” she said, adding, “…they’re a burden to small businesses trying to provide health care to their workers. Good environmental protection is critical to our health, and because of that it’s critical to our economy. Second, environmental protection is critical to our health, and because of that it’s critical to our economy.”

Earlier introducing EPA Chief, Alan Bjerga, the National Press Club President said, “(Jackson) in December declared greenhouse gas emissions a threat to the public welfare, is being criticized by Senators and Congressmen from both parties, and is being sued by at least three states.”

“She is at the center of the debate between those who think the government should require businesses to cut global warming emissions and those who say such a move would harm an already fragile economy,” Bjerga added.  Jackson in her address, labelled lobbyists battling the agency’s clean-up efforts as committing “an act of breathtaking negligence.”

“Once again, alarmists are claiming that (these efforts) will be the death knell of our economy. Once again they are telling us we have to choose the economy or environment,” she said.  

Jackson said alarmists are going against the overwhelming desire of the American people for a cleaner environment now rather than continue to subject their children to the dirty air and other climate hazards that endanger asthmatics, such as her own son, and sufferers of cancer and heart disease.  

“This is happening despite the overwhelming science on the dangers of climate changing — despite the Supreme Court 2007 decision directing EPA” to increase its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, she said.

Going down the memory lane, Jackson recalled how the catalytic converter, now standard on American automobiles, was “extremely controversial” 30 years ago, as something that used unleaded fuel.

“The Chamber of Commerce claimed, and I quote, ‘entire industries might collapse.’ Using the Clean Air Act in this way was said to be a poison pill for our economy — something that sounds all too familiar around Washington today.”  And despite all the controversy, “the auto industry survived,” Jackson said.

“Dangerous lead pollution in our air is 92% lower than it was in 1980. By 1985 the reductions of lead in our environment had estimated health benefits of $282 billion in revenues and $40 billion in exports, and supported 1.6 million American jobs. And that number doesn’t include all the engineers and professional services firms that support those businesses.”  

As for the phase out of ozone-depleting CFCs years ago, controversy was immense, she said. “CFCs were the chemicals in aerosol cans and other products that led to a growing hole in the ozone layer. I remember a lot of people wondering if they were going to have to give up their hairspray or their deodorant — and not being to happy about it. And they weren’t the only ones. The chemical industry predicted severe economic disruption. Refrigeration companies forecast shutdowns of supermarket coolers and chiller machines used to cool office buildings, hotels and hospitals.” 

Comparing EPA to an iceberg, Jackson said, “About 90% of what we do as an agency is under the waterline, really invisible to the average American. But, the 10% that’s above the line is the 10% that says there is a place in the federal government which has only one mission. That’s clean air, clean water, safe products.”

Jackson reassured the audience that whatever the stand is taken on various issues including, pesticides, off-shores drilling and site-cleaning, American people will be consulted.

EPA Chief reiterated the need for the American people to help concluding, “…no matter what you think of the Clean Air Act, air is all of ours. So, it’s just as important to your state as mine that we all pitch in to keep it clean and healthy.”

Cisco Unveils New Router, Said To Have Triple The Capacity

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:48 +0000

Mitchell Jaworski – AHN Reporter

San Francisco, CA, United States (AHN) – Cisco Systems unveiled its new CRS-3 Carrier Routing System that claims capacity of 322 Terabits per second, tripling the tech firms current router.

The network and router equipment maker is promoting the new router to wireless phone carriers, among its other clients, since the demand for streaming video and downloads through devices, such as the iPhone continues to expand.

According to Cisco, the CRS-3 would enable a network to download the entire Library of Congress in just over one second. As for video, the company claims the router can handle a network that has every man and women in China make a video conference call at the same time.

“The next generation Internet is upon us and we are confident that the Cisco CRS-3 will play a crucial role as service providers like AT&T deliver an exciting, new array of video, mobile, data center and cloud services,” said Pankaj Patel, senior vice president of Service Provider Business.

AT&T, whose network traffic increased 40 percent the past year, worked with Cisco on testing the new router.

“The Cisco CRS-3 is well positioned to carry on the tradition of the Cisco CRS-1, become the flagship router of the future and serves as the foundation for the world’s most intelligent and advanced broadband networks,” added Patel.

The CRS-3 also boasts an economical price tag, starting off at $90,000, whereas such routing systems can be priced upward of $1 million.

U.S. Markets Post Modest Gains Despite Sell Off In Commodity Stocks

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:47 +0000

Mitchell Jaworski – AHN Reporter

New York, NY, United States (AHN) – U.S. markets registered small gains on the one-year anniversary of the market bottom. Stocks inched near this year’s highs before a late sell-off in commodity names weighed.

The Dow Jones Industrial average added 12 points or 0.11 percent. 17 Dow stocks advanced against 13 decliners.

General Electric (NYSE: GE) was a Dow leader, up 1.4 percent after announcing its GE Capital unit will become the preferred financer for Navistar International Corporation, a truck and bus manufacturer.

Chevron (NYSE: CVX) was a Dow laggard, down 0.5 percent after announcing it plans to cut 2,000 refinery related jobs and put its European refinery up for sale.

The S&P 500 added 2 points or 0.2 percent to close at 1,140. The index reached as high as 1145 on Tuesday, just a half percent shy of its 2010 high before pulling back. The S&P 500 is roughly 70 percent higher since bottoming out exactly one-year ago.

The materials sector was the worst performing group Tuesday, down 0.8 percent, while financials held up best.

The Nasdaq Composite added 8 points or 0.4 percent. Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) jumped 1.8 percent, giving tech a boost as the stock continues its recent rally, hitting 52-week high of $225 intraday.

Crude oil finished the session down 0.5 percent to settle at $81.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Wednesday’s market will see the release of January wholesale inventories at 10 a.m., ET followed by the Treasury Budget for February later in the afternoon.

St Jude Researchers Investigate Role Of Nutrition On Dengue Fever

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:46 +0000

Linda Young – AHN Editor

Memphis, TN, United States (AHN) – A new study by researches at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital finds that well-fed children are not more likely than malnourished ones to contract the deadly dengue virus spread by infected mosquitoes.

Up to one-third of the world’s population is at risk of developing dengue fever, including a high percentage of children living in the Caribbean and Central and South America. But even children in the United States living along the border with Mexico have been contracting the disease.

Dengue fever can cause severe flu-like symptoms with some victims developing lethal complications from the virus.

Researchers conducted the study because of annectodatal reports that well-nourished children seemed to be harder hit by the virus.

However, scientists have disproved the theory and believe that one explanation is that the immune system is blocked from launching a strong immune response to a severe dengue infection if a person is even moderately malnourished.

“There must be subtle differences between patients, possibly related to their immune response,” said study lead author Gabriela Maron, M.D., a St. Jude Infectious Diseases clinical fellow.

The study was published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Pennsylvania Woman Known As "Jihad Jane" Indicted On Terrorism Charges

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:45 +0000

Linda Young – AHN Editor

Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN) – A Pennsylvania woman has been indicted on federal charges of using the Internet to recruit jihadists and promote terrorism, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country and other charges.

Colleen LaRose, 40, of suburban Philadelphia is also known as “Jihad Jane” and “Fatima Rose.” She was charged along with five unindicted co-conspirators and faces a possible life sentence and $1 million fine if found guilty.

Along with using the Internet to recruit jihadists, LaRose was charged with traveling to a foreign country to kill someone. Among other things, she was also charged with providing material support to terrorists, making false statements to a government official, attempted identity theft and stealing a passport.

LaRose, who was born in the United States, allegedly thought that her appearance and citizenship would help her to blend in while she carried out her plans.

According to an indictment unveiled Monday, LaRose was recruited by someone in Europe to kill an unidentified person in Sweden. She reportedly went to Europe and tracked the individual online in an attempt to carry out that plan, which called for conducting the killing in such a way as to frighten the non-Muslim world.

LaRose’s co-conspirators are located in South Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe and the U. S.

Officials said the willingness of an American to take part in such a plot indicates the evolving nature of the threat of terrorism.

Bride-To-Be Calls In Backup In Bridal Shop Dispute

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:43 +0000

Hansen Sinclair – AHN Reporter

Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – A bitter bride-to-be took bride wars to the next level when she called for backup, sparking a brawl inside a bridal shop, according to reports. Because of her antics, three men now face assault charges.

The woman, who the store owner claimed had caused problems inside the store before, was told to take her dress elsewhere for alterations because she had become known as a nuisance to employees at the First Lady Prom and Bridal in Lathrup Village, according to reports.

Store owner Hekmat Putruss told police that is when the situation escalated.

The woman told Putruss she would call her husband to kill Putruss and teach the employees a lesson. Putruss in turn closed down the store.

A short time later, friends of the future bride swarmed the store, slapped the owner’s wife in the face and attacked the owner’s son, according to reports. Putruss was tackled and thrown to the floor in the melee.

The men were arrested by police and arraigned on assault charges, but Putruss insisted on pressing attempted murder charges.

No one was seriously hurt in the attack, but damages to the store are estimated at $20,000.

Study Finds Abused Children Likely To Suffer Gastrointestinal Ailments

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:43 +0000

Ayinde O. Chase – AHN Editor

Chapel Hill, NC, United States (AHN) – Researchers studying abused children say the youngsters are more likely to suffer unexplained abdominal pain and nausea or vomiting than children who have not been abused.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reached that conclusion in a study that included all forms of abuse: psychological, physical or sexual.

“Therefore, when young patients complain about unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms, their doctors should ask questions to determine if they might have been abused,” said Dr. Miranda van Tilburg, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of gastroenterology and hepatology in the UNC School of Medicine.

The study’s co-authors analyzed data used in longitudinal studies of child abuse and neglect involving 845 children between the ages of 4-12.

The results showed that among children in the study, sexual abuse preceded or coincided with abdominal pain in 91 percent of cases. Additionally, children who recalled various forms of abuse showed a statistically significant association between abuse and both abdominal pain and nausea or vomiting.

The study in its entirety can be read in the latest issue of Annals of Family Medicine.

Woman Survives Gator Chomp On Park Trail

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:42 +0000

Hansen Sinclair – AHN Reporter

Charleston, SC, United States (AHN) – An elderly woman almost became gator bait while walking along a trail at South Carolina’s Cypress Gardens.

The woman, who was walking with her husband along a narrow path around 1 p.m. Monday, was bitten on the leg by the six-foot creature, reports said. She was bitten a second time on her hand when she fell.

The woman managed to walk away from the incident and was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina hospital, according to reports.

The woman did not know if she inadvertently stepped on the animal or if the attack was unprovoked. Neither wildlife officers nor alligator trappers had found the reptile as of late Monday.

Survivor Sees Khmer Rouge Trials As Catalyst For Accountability

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:41 +0000

Tejinder Singh – AHN Correspondent

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The Cambodian killing fields took her parents but Theary Seng is a survivor and sees the trial of former Khmer Rouge leaders as a great opportunity, calling it a “court of public opinion.”

Seng, a Cambodian-born U.S.-trained lawyer, addressed a Newsmaker event at the National Press Club on Friday.

She expressed hope that the Khmer Rouge tribunal, formally the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), could be ”a powerful catalyst for social accountability–the constructive engagement of Killing Fields survivors and other Cambodians and their transformation into informed, empowered citizens.” 

Seng accepted the fact that the ECCC or KRT does not have much to offer as a court of law for legal accountability. However, she said the trial is breaking legal ground by having victims of the Khmer Rouge participate as civil parties in a criminal proceeding.

She was the first such legal identity to be recognized by the ECCC, and in 2008 testified against the most senior surviving Khmer Rouge leader, Nuon Chea, known as “Brother No. 2.”  

The eventual legacy of the tribunal “is still being written,” she said. “Let’s have another conversation five years from now, when the ECCC has closed shop.”

Chevron To Slash 2,000 Jobs, Put Some Assets Up For Sale

Administrator — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:39:40 +0000

Mitchell Jaworski – AHN Reporter

New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Chevron Corp. announced Tuesday that it plans to cut 2,000 jobs and accept bids for its European refinery and Caribbean assets in an effort to shore up its refinery business.

The second largest U.S. energy firm made the moves after its refinery unit lost $613 million in the fourth quarter of 2009. The job cuts represent about 12 percent of Chevron’s 17,000 workers on the refinery side, while marking just over a 3 percent reduction to total staff.

Chevron said it will accept bids for its Pembroke refinery, located in Wales, while also putting some of its Caribbean downstream businesses up for sale. Downstream is generally considered the refinery side of the business.

“Downstream market conditions are likely to be difficult for the next several years. We intend to further concentrate our downstream portfolio in North America and Asia-Pacific,” said Mike Wirth, executive vice president, Global Downstream.

“We are also rapidly and aggressively lowering costs, reducing capital spending, improving efficiency and simplifying our organization,” added Wirth. Chevron is aiming to cut refinery capital expenditures by 23 percent this year.

The firm is also reviewing refinery operations in Hawaii and some South African locations for potential efficiency changes.

Chevron did not designate what refinery operations would be impacted by the coming job reduction. The cut follows a 1,900 reduction in 2009.