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Villeneuve eyes NASCAR switch
AFP
July 2, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS, United States (AFP) - Canadian Jacques Villeneuve could quit Formula One for the US-based NASCAR championship next year, the veteran racer said.
Villeneuve, 35, looks set to be dropped by BMW Sauber next year in favour of Polish test driver Robert Kubica, 21, who has regularly topped Friday practice sessions this year.
And with no top teams seemingly interested in him either, the 1997 World Champion could leave the sport with his reputation intact and switch to the Oval-based Saloon Series - second only to the NFL in popularity in America. Villeneuve told the Red Bulletin: "Going to NASCAR might not be such a bad career move because it's the most exciting race series in the US and it's a very different discipline to F1.
"I would not consider it a step down. Would I consider a move to stock cars? I would. But I would have to consider my family too as we would have to move to the US."
Villeneuve already has a proven record on Oval tracks. He won both the Indy 500 and the ChampCar World Series in 1995 before switching to Formula One with Williams.
But he ruled out returning to ChampCar or making a move to the IRL IndyCar series any time soon - claiming both series were not up to his standards. Villeneueve, an 11-times race winner, added: "As it stands now, CART and the IRL are looking tired. I would not consider a switch from F1 to either series a good career move.
"You only do that if you have no other choice, unless you do what Nigel Mansell did - win the F1 title, quit, and then take the Indy championship in your rookie year. That was amazing."
Yes, your right. If the government makes both the paper and coin dollar people go with the paper dollar. If the government were serious about wanting to go to the coin dollar they would stop making the paper dollar. Everyone would be use to the coin dollar in 6 months.
Mary Roberts Rinehart is one of my favorite Mystery writers. The Swimming Pool (1952, Mystery) was one of her last novels. Like all of her books this one was fun to read.
From the back cover: Judith Chandler has always been the spoiled beauty of the family, but something has gone terribly wrong. With a deadline to meet on her latest detective novel, Lois has no patience to deal with her sister's fears. Until a real-life mystery begins to unfold. For one night, Judith disappears from her locked bedroom, and in the morning, a woman's body is found floating in the swimming pool.
That's what I'm hoping for.
They probably will. It would also be cheaper in the long run to make coin dollars instead of paper dollars because they last longer. But the government keeps making the paper dollar.
I agree with those who say pennies are a nuisance. I hate carrying them around with me. Let's get rid of them. lol
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 1, 2006
President's Radio Address
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Laura and I wish all Americans a safe and happy 4th of July weekend. I'm looking forward to spending Independence Day with members of our Armed Forces and their families at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. These brave men and women risk their lives to defend the ideals of our founding generation, and I will have the honor of thanking many of them personally for their service in freedom's cause.
In 1776, John Adams predicted to his wife, Abigail, that America's Independence Day would be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. He wrote that "this anniversary should be commemorated with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward, forever more."
Since then, generations of Americans have done just that. Each year we look forward to the family gatherings and the grand celebrations that take place across the Nation on the 4th of July. And amid the music and barbeques and fireworks, we give thanks for our freedom, and we honor the bravery and sacrifices of all those who have made that freedom possible.
On Independence Day, we recall the courage and high ideals of our Nation's founders, who waged a desperate fight to overcome tyranny and live in freedom. Recent years have brought a renewed interest in the lives and achievements of our founders, and we have learned once again that they possessed extraordinary talents, as well as ordinary human failings, which only makes their accomplishments all the more remarkable.
For the brave men and women of our founding generation, victory was far from certain. They were certain only of the cause they served -- the belief that freedom is the gift of God and the right of all mankind. The strength of their convictions made possible the birth of the free Nation in which we are blessed to live.
On the 4th of July we also honor the sacrifices made by each American generation to secure the promises of the Declaration of Independence. For more than two centuries, from the camps of Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan, Americans have served and sacrificed for the principles of our founding.
Today, a new generation of American patriots is defending our freedom against determined and ruthless enemies. At this hour, the men and women of our Armed Forces are facing danger in distant places, carrying out their missions with all the skill and honor we expect of them. And their families are enduring long separations from their loved ones with great courage and dignity. Our troops and our military families deserve all our support and gratitude, and on this 4th of July weekend, I ask every American to find a way to thank those who defend our freedom. To find out about efforts in your community, please visit the website AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
As we celebrate the 4th, we also remember that the promises of liberty contained in our Declaration apply to all people. Because Americans believe that freedom is an unalienable right, we value the freedom of every person in every nation. And because we are committed to the God-given worth of every life, we strive to promote respect for human dignity. Today, all who live in tyranny and all who yearn for freedom can know that America stands with them.
As citizens of this good Nation, we should be proud of our heritage, grateful for our liberty, and confident in our future. Two-hundred-and-thirty years after America declared its independence, the spirit of '76 lives on. And our Nation remains proud to carry freedom's torch. We still place our trust in the protections of divine providence. We still pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to freedom's defense. And we still believe in the promise of freedom for all.
Thank you for listening.
END
Tornado flips truck on New York highway 3 minutes ago
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. - A tornado touched down in a Buffalo suburb Friday afternoon, flipping a truck driving along the New York State Thruway and a construction trailer with a worker inside. No serious injuries were reported.
The funnel cloud was sighted at about 3 p.m. and left a path that was 3 miles long and 100 yards wide, said Steve McLaughlin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Witnesses described watching a tractor-trailer being tossed onto its side amid hail and heavy rains.
"It was very scary, no doubt about it," said Albert Nigro of Amherst, who said he was driving about 200 yards behind the westbound truck.
Cars behind the truck spun out, he said. A shaken witness called a television station and said his car was lifted from the Thruway and dropped into oncoming traffic.
The truck driver had minor injuries.
A construction trailer near the Thruway was tossed into a nearby road, slightly injuring a worker inside, police said. The storm also ripped off tree limbs, damaged store signs and downed power lines.
Daytona
Stewart (20)
Gordon (24)
Hamlin (11)
Video comments from Kathy Lien, Chief Strategist at FXCM, on this morning's GDP numbers and FOMC meeting later today.
http://www.dailyfx.com/export/sites/dailyfx/story-images/2006/06/calendar/Calender/__MACOSX/II062906...
Couple of cheats. Hope they throw the book at them. lol
Something fishy in Kentucky waters Wed Jun 28, 5:56 PM ET
BENTON, Ky. - A pair of fishing buddies were charged with 10 felonies after being accused of cheating in fishing tournaments on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley on the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
Marshall and Lyon county grand juries on Tuesday indicted Dwayne E. Nesmith, 43, of Island, and Brian K. Thomas, 31, of Dawson Springs on nine counts of theft by deception of over $300 in Marshall County, one count of complicity to commit theft by deception of over $300 and one count of attempted theft by deception of over $300 in Lyon County.
An investigation of the pair started April 30, when the men allegedly stashed five live bass in a fish basket in the water, then picked them up to weigh in at the Relay for Life Buddy Bass Tournament at the Lake Barkley State Resort Park, state police said.
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Sgt. Bill Snow said someone reported the bass, which were marked with clippings in their fins.
Nesmith and Thomas were witnessed picking up the fish early on the morning of April 30, then putting their catch in the boat, Snow said.
Snow said the men allegedly entered three of the stashed fish in the tournament's weigh-in at the end of the day.
That sparked an investigation into tournaments the pair had previously won, Snow said.
Kentucky State Police Sgt. Brent White said Nesmith and Thomas won several thousand dollars and a bass boat worth $30,000 by allegedly catching fish before a tournament, then submitting the fish as being caught during the competition.
The two men were arrested Tuesday after the grand juries handed up the indictments.
Compulsive Pa. shopper gets 27 months 2 hours, 24 minutes ago
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A woman accused of embezzling more than $1.5 million from a credit union and buying more than 1,500 items including hundreds of pairs of shoes, handbags, a $60,000 swimming pool and gambling trips to Las Vegas was sentenced Tuesday to 27 months in prison.
Betty Jean Barachie, of Kunkletown, bought 58 coats, 16 chain saws, a $25,000 John Deere tractor and more than 3,000 books, piling most of the items in her home with the tags still attached, said Dr. George Perovich, an Allentown psychologist. "She was a compulsive shopper and was one of the most extreme cases I'd ever seen," he said.
Barachie acknowledged stealing money from the Northampton-Carbon County Federal Credit Union, where she worked, from 1995 to 2003. She pleaded guilty in October to charges of embezzlement and filing a false federal tax return.
Still, U.S. District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno chastized the U.S. attorney's office for failing to prosecute others allegedly involved in looting what was believed to be millions from the credit union, which became insolvent and was forced to close in September 2004. "You have a small fish here. Where are the big fish? No one else has been charged with a parking ticket in this case," Robreno said.
Mobile phone doubles as a metal detector Wed Jun 28, 2:41 PM ET
PARIS (AFP) - The Finnish phone maker Nokia has devised a mobile handset that can also double as a metal detector, enabling the owner to look for concealed guns, hidden electrical cables and lost car keys, the British weekly New Scientist reports.
The US patent application filed by Nokia says the phone is fitted with an induction coil whose main use is to get a clear audio signal for people with hearing difficulties.
But it can also be used to detect metal at short distances, says the report, carried in next Saturday's issue of the British science weekly.
Dell to offer free recycling for products By MATT SLAGLE, AP Technology Writer
Wed Jun 28, 3:59 PM ET
DALLAS - Consumers wanting to ditch old printers, personal computers or other electronics gear made by Dell Inc. will soon be able to recycle them for free, chairman Michael Dell announced Wednesday.
"We don't think the consumer should have to pay for the responsible retirement of used computer equipment," Dell said.
The new recycling policy, already available in Europe, is slated to launch in the United States by September and the rest of the world by November.
Industrywide, companies have begun adopting more affordable recycling policies to prevent cadmium, mercury and lead and other hazardous materials contained in many electronics from ending up in landfills as so-called "e-waste."
This month, Apple Computer Inc. expanded its computer recycling program for U.S. customers. Those who buy a new Mac through the Apple store online or any Apple retail store will receive free shipping and recycling of their old machines.
Dell's main rival, Hewlett-Packard Co., meanwhile, said Tuesday it was expanding its product recycling program with a series of summer collection drives.
The drives, running between June and September in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico and Oregon, will let consumers drop off a range of electronic devices for recycling free of charge, the company said.
Under Dell's previous policy, available since 2004, consumers could only get free recycling of any brand of computer or printer if they bought a new Dell system. For those not buying a new system or who don't have Dell equipment, the Round Rock, Texas, company would take back used electronics for $10 per box, as long as it weighs less than 50 pounds.
Under the new system, consumers wishing to recycle their old Dell gear for free must go online, enter the product's serial code at Dell's Web site, pack the item, and then schedule a pickup time.
The items are then sent to one of Dell's U.S.-based recycling centers to be reused or broken down into components.
"Dell is setting the standard for the industry with this new policy," said Kate Krebs, executive director of the National Recycling Coalition, who joined Dell in making the announcement during a conference call with reporters.
It's the responsibility of consumers to erase any personal data beforehand, said Tod Arbogast, senior manager of Dell Sustainable Business.
That's mud? It looks more like the tread of a tire.
nice pictures.
[17:46 EUR/USD: Grinding Lower in Range; Bulls Frustrated] Boston, June 27. Upbeat Ifo, hawkish ECB comments, doubts whether the Fed will tighten beyond the 25 bp priced for Thursday. A EUR/USD bull would be hard pressed to ask for a
more bullish backdrop. Trouble is, central banks continue to cap rallies and EUR longs are being rewarded very little for their efforts. Dips are limited to the 1.2560/65 area near-term as Mid-East bids are rumored on dips, presumably to
diversify their ongoing oil windfall. EUR/USD trades on a soft note, around 1.2583. Offers remain in the 1.2610/20 area on rallies. Stops are seen on to at 1.2630 and at 1.2530/35 on dips. Jamie.Coleman@Thomson.com
[17:32 USD/JPY: Rate Hike Expectations Still Weighing On JGBs] San Francisco, June 27. There is a wide spread belief emerging that should Fukui resign, there is little chance of a BOJ rate hike in July. Regardless of this view, the JGB market is still pricing in rate hike expectations with JGBs falling for the fourth session in a row and JGB futures hitting six-year lows. JGB ten-year yields rose to 1.90% last night, but are still under recent highs of 2.00%. Notably JPY has seen little reaction with the hawkish views on the USD and the EUR dampening any impact on JPY. Hawkish comments from BOJ"s Mizuno kept pressure on euroyen overnight with CDs also meeting selling pressure. The corporate bond market also remains under pressure on rate hike expectations. The latest Japanese press update on Fukui"s predicament comes from the Asahi Shimbun who says that opposition parties are renewing their call for his resignation, despite a fresh statement of support from the LDP. However, a number of reports not criticism that has emerged about the size of BOJ Fukui"s profit and that it is too large. Also, the criticism from the LDP coalition partner New Komeito, against Fukui, is adding to pressure on the LDP support for Fukui. Seen being used as leverage to call for Fukui"s resignation is the move by the Democratic Party of Japan member Koji Matsui to give up his parliamentary and party posts because he allowed the Murakami fund to pay his aides" salaries. He will keep his status as lawmaker. The press notes that PM Koizumi is in Canada, which appears to be adding to the ability of the opposition and the press to keep pressure on Fukui.
USD/JPY is at 116.29 this afternoon with bids at 116.00 and 115.80/90 and offers at 116.70. Rhonda.Staskow@Thomson.com
Twinkie Burritos? Twinkie Lasagna? Tue Jun 27, 9:21 AM ET
CHICAGO - Twinkies, they're not just for dessert anymore. The new "Twinkies Cookbook" has recipes for everything from a Twinkie Burrito to Twinkie Lasagna.
Theresa Cogswell compiled about 50 recipes for the book.
Many were submitted to Hostess, as part of Twinkies' 75th anniversary celebration last year.
Cogswell tells Illinois' Daily Southtown newspaper that one of her favorites is a berry-laden Patriotic Twinkie Pie.
It's red, white and blue.
Cogswell says it makes a great centerpiece for a Fourth of July picnic, which you can also eat for dessert.
Comcast employee sleeps during house call Mon Jun 26, 7:22 AM ET
PHILADELPHIA - Comcast Corp. has fired an employee for sleeping on a customer's couch during a house call after video of the incident became a minor Internet sensation.
Philadelphia-based Comcast also said in a statement that it had apologized to customer Brian Finkelstein of Washington, D.C., for the "unsatisfactory customer experience."
Finkelstein posted video of the sleeping technician and told this story on YouTube.com, a site that lets users share videos:
His Comcast Internet connection had worked only intermittently since he moved to a new apartment June 1. A Comcast employee who came to Finkelstein's home June 14 to replace the modem called the company for help. Put on hold for more than an hour, he caught some shut-eye while he waited.
Finkelstein, a Georgetown University law student, picked up his video camera, added an Eels song with the lyrics "I need some sleep," and sent it to YouTube.
The 58-second video has been viewed more than 227,000 times since it was posted Tuesday.
Finkelstein told The Philadelphia Inquirer in an e-mail message Friday that his service has been fixed.
This is not the first customer-service issue to embarrass Comcast. In August, the company said it had fired two employees in the Chicago area for changing a woman's name on her bill to a derogatory term after she repeatedly complained about poor service.
Comcast said that providing a positive customer experience was its top priority. It said that, each year, it interacted with customers more than 225 million times, taking more than 200 million phone calls and sending out trucks 25 million times.
Fla. man wrongly fined for feeding squirrels Mon Jun 26, 11:40 AM ET
MELBOURNE, Fla. - Retired Kennedy Space Center mechanic Jack Garrison doesn't own a dog. He doesn't own a squirrel, either, though he admits he likes to feed the squirrels in his backyard.
Recently the Florida man was issued notices of fines totaling nearly $1,400. The infractions, which Garrison calls just plain nuts, included a barking dog violation along with four squirrel-related charges -- from squirrel disturbing the peace to squirrel at large.
The city of Melbourne has admitted its mistake. It says someone called to complain that Garrison was feeding the squirrels in his backyard, and an automated computer program spit out the charges. Authorities have issued Garrison an apology.
N.D. woman catches piranha in reservoir Mon Jun 26, 5:03 PM ET
JAMESTOWN, N.D. - State wildlife officials have a fish story with some teeth to it. Game warden supervisor Dick Knapp and district game warden Jason Scott responded to a call over the weekend of a woman catching what she thought was a piranha at the Casselton Reservoir.
The small fish with big, sharp teeth is native to the Amazon River in South America.
Knapp said the catch was confirmed by biologists. The state Game and Fish Department believes the four-inch-long red-bellied piranha probably came from someone's aquarium.
"It had to have been somebody's pet," said Greg Power, the state fisheries chief.
Introducing a foreign species to North Dakota waterways is illegal, but officials said they have no idea who put the piranha in the reservoir, which Power said is a small fishery on an unnamed creek that has been dammed. Knapp said the warm-water fish would not have survived the winter, anyway.
Power said the piranha likely was too small to have done any damage to other fish in the reservoir, which has trout, panfish and other species.
He said he has heard of piranha being caught in other states, but that this might be a first for North Dakota.
"We have had goldfish that were put in (lakes) ... but never a piranha," Power said.
Mascot demoted for acting the goat on parade Sat Jun 24, 11:32 AM ET
Billy Goat
NICOSIA (Reuters) - The six-year-old mascot for a British army battalion has been demoted in disgrace for acting the goat during a parade in full view of dignitaries.
Billy Goat has been a mascot of the First Battalion, the Royal Welsh regiment, since he was six months old and had the official rank of lance-corporal before his frisky antics during a parade marking Queen Elizabeth's official birthday earlier this month.
The army said he had been demoted to fusilier (private) as a result of his behavior.
"The goat major had a hard time keeping him in line, he was bouncing around all over the place," military spokesman Captain Crispian Coates told Reuters Saturday.
Doubly embarrassing was Billy's refusal to obey commands in front of diplomats and army top brass, Coates said.
"This is his first overseas tour. He has certainly not made a good start for himself."
Pelicans held on suspicion of being drunk Mon Jun 26, 8:46 AM ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Four pelicans suspected of being drunk on sea algae were being tested at a Southern California wildlife center Saturday after one of them crashed headlong into a car.
Three of the California brown pelicans were found wandering dazed in the streets of Laguna Beach after another pelican struck a vehicle's windshield on a nearby coast road.
It suffered internal injuries and a long gash in its pouch and was undergoing toxicology tests.
Officials at the Wildlife Care Center said the seabirds may have been under the influence of algae in the ocean that can produce domoic acid poisoning when eaten.
The other pelicans were rounded up after assistant wildlife director Lisa Birkle warned the public to be on the lookout for birds acting "drunk," disoriented or being in an unusual place.
Shellfish tainted with domoic acid was thought to be the culprit behind a 1961 attack of seabirds on people and cars in the oceanside California town of Capitola that inspired Alfred Hitchcock's horror movie "The Birds."
Tomorrow's Economic Releases: US Consumer Confidence Expected To Soil Strong Dollar Sentiment
Monday, 26 June 2006 21:54:39 GMT
Written by DailyFX Research Team
US Conference Board Consumer Confidence (JUN) (14:00 GMT; 10:00 EST)
Consensus: 103.9
Previous: 103.2
Outlook: US Consumer Confidence, a household survey used to forecast economic activity in the next six months, is expected to rebound to 103.9 from May’s sharp decline. Economists see more optimism coming from stronger employment data and less volatile gasoline prices for this month’s survey. Consumer confidence will be critical as high interest rates, energy and commodity prices, a volatile stock market and fear over the health of the real estate sector continue to price risk into the dollar and US assets. Overall economic strength has allowed the labor market to remain strong amid high interest rates. This weighs on the precarious strength in the housing market, which accounts for much of the net wealth the Average American possesses. Should it continue to show signs of cooling, consumers will be less apt to take out home equity loans for leisurely spending, thus making for a significant deceleration in growth. The housing market is clearly slowing down, but data suggest that it is still fighting. This morning’s new home sales rose to 1,234K from last month’s 1180K as a decline to 1,145K was expected.
Previous: Consumer confidence in the world’s largest economy fell by the most since September as high energy costs and interest rates are sobering consumers on the economic outlook. May’s reading of 103.2 kept the indicator in good territory, however it was quite the fall from April’s four-year high of 109.8. The proportion of consumers who expect their incomes to rise in the next six months fell to the lowest in almost three years, while consumers that claim jobs are hard to find rose to 20.5 percent for a yearly high and those that expect better employment opportunities in the next six months fell to 14.6 percent from 15.4 percent. This could join the housing market as one of the markers that the rampant economic growth in the US last year will finally be restrained by less than ideal market conditions that have held the globe in its grip since September of last year.
[01:36 EUR/USD: Some Fed-Watchers Say That August Hike Not Certain] Sydney, June 27: At the end of last week the USD roared higher as expectations of another Fed hike in August to 5.5% started to get priced in by the futures market. Greg Ip writing in the Wall Street Journal on the weekend suggested that the hikes beyond a near certain hike this Thursday was not a foregone conclusion due to possible growth concerns and a similar sentiment was expressed yesterday by Steven Beckner of Market News. Beckner said that another Fed hike in August to 5.5% was not the near certainty that the market expects. He suggests that the market over-reacted last week to "hawkish" comments from Fed officials in recent weeks in the same way they overreacted to Bernanke"s talk about a possible "pause" in late April.
The combination of a hawkish shift in ECB expectations after aggressive talk form ECB officials in the past 48 hours and a subtle shift away from extremely hawkish Fed expectations could see the EUR/USD trade back to the 1.2680 level even before the expected FOMC 25 bp hike and the statement to follow. The
EUR/USD trades 1.2604/09. --john.Noonan@thomson.com
Patriot Interceptor Missiles to Be Deployed in Japan
Monday , June 26, 2006
SEOUL, South Korea — Tokyo and Washington will deploy advanced Patriot interceptor missiles in Japan for the first time, officials said Monday amid concerns North Korea may be preparing to test-fire a long-range ballistic missile.
The U.S. and Japan reached an accord on the interceptors this month after reports of the possible test-firing became public, and they plan to install the weapons on American bases in Japan as soon as possible, Japan's Defense Agency said.
Japan's largest newspaper said the interceptor missiles could be installed by the end of the year.
It was unclear whether Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles — designed to intercept ballistic missiles, cruise missiles or enemy aircraft — would be able to hit North Korea's latest long-range missile, the newspaper reported.
Yomiuri Shimbun said the medium- to long-range interceptor may be unable to shoot down the Taepodong-2, which is believed capable of reaching parts of the United States. The newspaper did not cite a source for that assessment.
CountryWatch: North Korea
The Defense Agency spokeswoman said the sites of the Patriot deployment and its timing have not been decided.
Yomiuri Shimbun said that the U.S. military would deploy three or four of the surface-to-air missile batteries on the southern island of Okinawa by the end of the year, and send an additional 500 to 600 U.S. troops there. Up to 16 missiles can fit in a single PAC-3 battery, according to the system's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin Corp.
The plan was proposed by U.S. officials during a June 17 meeting in Hawaii, the newspaper reported, quoting unidentified government officials.
Intelligence reports have said North Korea may be fueling the Taepodong-2, one of its most advanced missiles, at a launch site on the country's northeastern coast. Japan's defense chief said that it was not clear if fueling was taking place, a news report said.
Defense Agency head Fukushiro Nukaga said in a speech in Osaka that while "it appears to be a fact that the missile has been mounted on a launch platform," it was unclear if it was being fueled, Kyodo News agency reported.
The North has maintained a self-imposed moratorium on such launches since 1999. The United States, Japan and other countries have urged North Korea to halt any plans to test the missile. Pyongyang has insisted it has the right to test-launch.
South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon was traveling to Beijing on a two-day visit to seek China's cooperation in halting a launch.
"There is a growing need to intensify discussions between South Korea and China on North Korea's recent missile issue and the nuclear issue," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
China is the North's key ally and is believed able to exert the most influence on Pyongyang. Beijing has hosted international talks on the North's nuclear program, which halted in November amid North Korean boycott anger over U.S. financial sanctions.
The missile concerns also have prompted the U.S. to move up a test of a missile-detecting radar system in northern Japan, Kyodo News agency reported, citing an unidentified U.S. official in Washington.
Kyodo said testing of the high-resolution radar capable of detecting incoming missiles could start as early as Monday, weeks earlier than expected.
Japanese officials said the report could not immediately be confirmed.
The X-Band radar has been transferred from a U.S. base in Japan to the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's Shariki base at Tsugaru, 360 miles northeast of Tokyo.
The radar deployment is part of the joint missile defense project, which began after North Korea fired a missile, part of which flew over Japan, in 1998.
Tokyo and Washington on Friday also signed an agreement to expand their cooperation on a joint ballistic missile defense shield, committing themselves to joint production of interceptor missiles.
Gamble pays off for Terry Labonte, team owners
By TOM GARDNER, Associated Press Writer
June 25, 2006
SONOMA, Calif. (AP) -- Fuel strategy paid off for Terry Labonte on Sunday at Infineon Raceway, where the two-time NASCAR champion benefited from some late cautions and a little luck to nurse his car the final 50 laps on a tank of gas.
The result: a third-place finish in the Dodge/Save Mart 350.
``It was an awful good run. We got really good gas mileage,'' Labonte said. ``We needed a couple of caution laps. We gambled on it.''
In addition, he said the car was a little loose, which kept him from using the throttle the way he normally would have, which might have run him out of fuel.
Making only his sixth start of the year for Hall of Fame Racing, owned by former NFL quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, Labonte took the lead on lap 71 when other drivers pitted.
He held off eventual race winner Jeff Gordon until lap 88 and Ryan Newman couldn't get past Labonte until the next-to-last lap.
His crew chief, Philippe Lopez -- wearing a Terry Labonte T-shirt he bought 22 years ago -- urged his driver to conserve fuel.
``I knew what he was trying to tell me, but I didn't try to change anything. I just kept doing what I'd been doing all day,'' Labonte said.
Labonte, who also is driving part-time for Hendrick Motorsports, where he won his second title, started the first five races of the year for Hall of Fame Racing. That gave the new team enough owner's points that it didn't have to qualify on speed for every race and Labonte then turned over the wheel to Tony Raines. Raines is scheduled to complete the season except for the two road course races, here and in August at Watkins Glen.
Earlier in the day, Aikman said the startup team was just hoping to finish the year in the top 25.
After Labonte's performance Sunday, Staubach was ecstatic.
``We wouldn't have dreamed we could do this quickly, but we have a great driver and a great person and Philippe did his job,'' he said.
-----------------------------------------------------------
RINGERS ROCKEED
It was also a long day for the ringers -- road racing specialists hired to fill in for a team's driver who's most comfortable just turning left.
Scott Pruett was the only one of the three to finish on the lead lap, in 30th place.
P.J. Jones, the son of racing legend Parnelli Jones, was 36th after losing his rear end and Ron Fellows battled a rash of problems on his way to a 37th-place finish.
Boris Said, who finished ninth, barely qualifies as a ringer any more. Sunday marked the debut of his new racing team owned with Mark Simo and Frank Stoddard.
Jack Schwager, author of the Market Wizards series, at the FXCM Currency Trading Expo. 1 hr 18 min.
http://www.fxcmexpo.com/video/jackschwager.htm
I have to disagree. I like watching the road races and wish we had about 5 or 6 a year. But I do think NASCAR should be on an oval most of the time.
Charlie's Angels
with Cheryl
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 24, 2006
President's Radio Address
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This past week I traveled to Austria and Hungary, where I had productive meetings with our European allies. We discussed the challenges and opportunities we share, including the importance of spreading prosperity at home and around the world. It's good to be back home, and I'm pleased to report that our economy is strong, growing, and delivering prosperity to more of our people.
Let me give you a few facts. In the first quarter of 2006, our economy grew at an impressive annual rate of 5.3 percent. Since August of 2003, America has created more than 5.3 million new jobs, more than all 25 nations of the European Union combined. Productivity is growing, and wages are beginning to rise. And because taxes are low, workers are keeping more of the money they earn.
Our economy is heading into the summer on the fast track, and one of the best ways to keep our momentum going is to restrain spending in Washington, D.C. Earlier this month, Congress took an important step by passing an emergency spending bill that stayed within the strict spending limits I set. The bill included necessary funding for high priorities, such as equipping our military and rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and it showed discipline in other areas. Congress deserves credit for meeting my spending limits, and I was pleased to sign the emergency spending bill into law.
As Members of Congress show restraint on spending bills, they also need to make reforms in the spending process. Under the current system, many lawmakers are able to insert funding for pet projects into large spending bills. This process is called earmarking, and it often results in unnecessary spending. For example, a bill to fund our military can be loaded up with unjustified earmarks and other spending that may not add to our national security.
This leaves Members of Congress with two bad options -- they can either vote against the whole bill, including all the worthwhile spending, or they have to accept the whole bill, including the wasteful spending. The President is left with the same dilemma -- either he has to veto the entire bill or sign the bill and approve the unnecessary spending.
There's a smarter way to handle taxpayer dollars, and it begins with granting the President a tool called the line-item veto. A line-item veto would allow the President to remove wasteful spending from a bill while preserving the rest of the legislation. Forty-three of our Nation's 50 governors have line-item veto authority, and they have used that authority to remove needless spending from otherwise good bills.
Ten years ago, Members of Congress from both parties voted to grant President Clinton the line-item veto. However, the Supreme Court ruled that version of the line-item veto unconstitutional because it took too much spending authority away from the Congress. I proposed a new version of the line-item veto that fixes the problem and gives the President a clear and constitutional way to cut wasteful spending. Under my proposal, the President would identify a list of unnecessary items that should be removed from a larger spending bill. Congress would then be required to hold a prompt up-or-down vote on the list.
A line-item veto would give the President a way to insist on greater discipline in the budget. A line-item veto would reduce the incentive for Congress to spend wastefully because when lawmakers know their pet projects will be held up to public scrutiny, they will be less likely to suggest them in the first place. Most importantly, a line-item veto would benefit American taxpayers by ensuring greater respect for their hard-earned dollars.
This past Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a bill granting line-item-veto authority. This was a victory for the taxpayers and for spending restraint. I call on the Senate to show a bipartisan commitment to fiscal discipline by passing the line-item veto so we can work together to cut wasteful spending, reduce the deficit, and save money for American taxpayers.
Thank you for listening.
END
I like both ideals. Especially requiring us to pick from different groups. It's easy to pick from the top drivers (Martin, Stewart, Gordon, etc.) every week. Having to pick from the lesser known drivers will give us a nice challenge.
Infineon
Martin (6)
Gordon (24)
Harvick (29)
Kicking the habit no monkey business for chain-smoking Chinese chimp
Fri Jun 23, 9:28 AM ET
BEIJING (AFP) - Xiku the chain-smoking chimpanzee has almost kicked his deadly habit thanks to the efforts of zoo keepers in China, but it has taken a beer or two to help get him through detox.
Xiku became addicted to smoking while mimicking the habits of humans during a career as a circus performer, the state-run Xinhua news agency said Friday.
By the time he was sent to a zoo in Urumqi, the capital of China's northwest Xinjiang region, in 2002, Xiku was already smoking 10 cigarettes a day.
That number doubled as visitors threw him cigarettes for amusement, but he is now down to smoking four a day after some unorthodox efforts from zoo keepers, Xinhua said.
"At the beginning, he became irascible when he wanted to smoke, jolting windows and doors," Xinhua quoted one of the keepers as saying.
"We sometimes gave him some sunflower seeds or a bottle of beer to help him shake off the addiction and visitors are no longer allowed to throw him cigarettes."
Sailors’ personal data found on Internet
Data included Social Security numbers of 28,000 sailors and their families
The Associated Press
Updated: 5:15 p.m. CT June 23, 2006
Social Security numbers and other personal data for 28,000 sailors and members of their families have been found on a civilian Web site, triggering a criminal investigation.
The Navy said Friday the information was in five documents and included people’s names, birth dates and Social Security numbers.
Navy spokesman Lt. Justin Cole would not identify the Web site or its owner, but said the information had been removed. He would not provide any details about how the information ended up on the site.
Cole said there was no indication so far that the information was used illegally, but individuals involved were being contacted and encouraged to monitor their bank accounts and credit cards.
The breach comes amid a rash of government computer data thefts, including one at the Agriculture Department earlier this week in which a hacker may have obtained names, Social Security numbers and photos of 26,000 Washington-area employees and contractors.
As many as 26.5 million veterans and current military troops may have been affected by the theft of a laptop computer containing their Social Security numbers and birth dates. The computer was taken from the home of a Veterans Affairs Department employee in early May, and officials waited nearly three weeks before notifying veterans on May 22 of the theft.
At as many as a half dozen federal agencies have been affected by computer data losses in recent months.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Friday, one member of Congress asked for details on the Navy incident, and questioned whether the Defense Department will make sure a free credit help is provided for those affected.
U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said he had asked Rumsfeld two years ago about the implications of federal agencies outsourcing data collection and processing activities. While there is no indication that outsourcing was the problem in the Navy case, Markey said he wants to know what affect that would have on the security of information on military personnel.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating the breach. The initial discovery was made by the Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command, which routinely monitors the Internet for such problems.
The Navy said individuals can place a 90-day fraud alert on their credit reports, and provided information on companies to contact.
Information on how to watch for suspicious activity can be found at the Navy Personnel Command’s Web site.
Gator lunges at man delivering newspapers Thu Jun 22, 6:06 PM ET
POTTSTOWN, Pa. - A man delivering newspapers at 5 a.m. Monday heard an unusual sound as he got out of his truck to retrieve a misthrown newspaper. He walked between two parked cars and saw a 4-foot alligator.
"He kind of lunged at me and hissed," said Bobby Kish, 46. "His mouth was open; I was about five feet away. It was enough to get my attention."
Kish jumped back in his car, drove to the Pottstown Borough police station and told the dispatcher, who sent officers to the scene.
Cpl. Jamie O'Neill grabbed the alligator from behind and secured its jaws with duct tape. The animal was taken in a patrol wagon to the county prison, where it was logged in as "Al E. Gator."
Capt. Allan Ewing was awakened by officers and asked how to deal with the reptile. He said the borough's animal handler arranged for it to go to a private animal facility near Wilkes-Barre.
Official: 7 arrested in Sears Tower plot By KELLI KENNEDY, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 8 minutes ago
MIAMI - Seven people were arrested Thursday in connection with the early stages of a plot to attack Chicago's Sears Tower and other buildings in the U.S., including the FBI office here, a federal law enforcement official said.
As part of the raids related to the arrests, FBI agents swarmed a warehouse in Miami's Liberty City area, using a blowtorch to take off a metal door.
The official told The Associated Press the alleged plotters were mainly Americans with no apparent ties to al-Qaida or other foreign terrorist organizations. He spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to pre-empt news conferences planned for Friday in Washington and Miami.
Miami U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta said in a statement that the investigation was an ongoing operation and that more details would be released Friday.
"There is no imminent threat to Miami or any other area because of these operations," said Richard Kolko, spokesman for FBI headquarters in Washington. He declined further comment.
Residents living near the warehouse said the men taken into custody described themselves as Mulims and had tried to recruit young people to join their group, which seemed militaristic.
The residents said FBI agents spent several hours in the neighborhood showing photos of the suspects and seeking information. They said the men had lived in the area about a year.
The men slept in the warehouse, said Tashawn Rose, 29. "They would come out late at night and exercise. It seemed like a military boot camp that they were working on there. They would come out and stand guard."
She talked to one of the men about a month ago: "They seemed brainwashed. They said they had given their lives to Allah."
Rose said the men tried to recruit her younger brother and nephew for a karate class.
"It was weird," she said.
Gov. Jeb Bush was briefed on the situation Thursday, according to his spokeswoman, Alia Faraj.
"We have great confidence in the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who are committed to keeping our country safe," Faraj said.
She added that there has been greater communication between state and federal agencies since the 2001 terror attacks.
The 110-floor Sears Tower is the nation's tallest building. Its skydeck was closed for about a month and a half after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Several terrorism investigations have had south Florida links. Several of the Sept. 11 hijackers lived and trained in the area, including ringleader Mohamed Atta, and several plots by Cuban-Americans against Fidel Castro's government have been based in Miami.
Jose Padilla, a former resident once accused of plotting to detonate a radioactive bomb in the U.S., is charged in Miami with being part of a support cell for Islamic extremists. Padilla's trial is set for this fall.
Anthony Reyes (1-1) pitched a great game for the Cardinals tonight going 8 innings allowing 1 run on 1 hit no walks and 6 K's, but he took the loss. Freddy Garcia also pitched well for the White Sox going 8 innings allowing 0 runs on 4 hits he allowed 1 walk and had 2 K's. White Sox dh Jim Thome's home run in the 7th was the only score in the game. White Sox won 1-0.