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Woods And Kim Tied For Lead At Congressional

BETHESDA, Md. – Anthony Kim finally gets a crack at Tiger Woods, and when he says he has been practicing for a moment like this all his life, Kim isn’t kidding.
As a 10-year-old growing up in Los Angeles, in those final hours of twilight as he waited for his father to pick up from the golf course, Kim imagined he was in the final pairing with Woods and had a 10-foot putt for the victory, with the world’s No. 1 player watching.
“Man, they were going in a lot,” Kim said, laughing.
He can only hope fantasy meets reality Sunday in the AT&T National.
Kim kept his cool after a couple of blunders at Congressional, saving par from 84 yards with a creative chip he had been too scared to try in competition, then making birdie on the 16th that led to a 2-under 68 and his name atop the leaderboard.
Woods, having lost a three-shot lead in a span of two holes with a double bogey on the 11th, found one last birdie with a putt up the slope of the 16th green to tap-in range that allowed him to salvage a roller-coaster round at 70.
That gave him a share of the lead with Kim at 10-under 210, and gave Congressional a Sunday showdown a bustling gallery has been craving since the tournament began Thursday.
Woods is tournament host. Kim is the defending champion.
Woods is the guy who made golf cool, a multiracial talent who shattered records during his rise to No. 1. Kim is perfecting cool, a bundle of energy at 24 who practices with music blaring from his iPod.
They are separated by just under 10 years, but this generation gap seems wider than that. Woods also grew up in Southern California, and he often stayed late on the practice green dreaming of the putt to win a major.
And who was he trying to beat?
Jack Nicklaus. Arnold Palmer. Ben Hogan. Sam Snead.
Told about Kim’s tale of trying to beat him, Woods offered a wry smile.
“I’m aging,” he said. “That’s what that means.”
But he has been around long enough to have built a 44-3 record on the PGA Tour when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead, a statistic that has defined why it’s so tough to beat him.
Kim is only thankful for the chance. He has never played in the same pairing with Woods, nor has Kim ever finished higher than Woods in any of the tournaments they have played since Kim joined the PGA Tour three years ago.
But the kid has an idea what he’ll see.
“I expect he’s going to be wearing a red shirt and be out there ready to go,” Kim said. “And I’ll be ready, as well.”
They both would do well do look over their shoulders, for this is far from a two-man race.
Michael Allen, who is 0-for-336 in his PGA Tour career but undefeated on the Champions Tour when he won the Senior PGA Championship earlier this year, made seven birdies in a round of 65, the best score Saturday.
Allen turned 50 in January and ventured out to play against men his own age only once, winning at Canterbury at a senior major. He has won on the Nationwide Tour, the PGA European Tour and the Champions Tour.
This one would be the most meaningful.
“It would be a culmination of what I’ve always been try to do,” Allen said. “And champagne for everybody.”
He was at 9-under 201 with Cameron Beckman, who chipped in for eagle on the par-5 16th for a 66.
A dozen players were separated by four shots going into the final round, including Jim Furyk (69) and Rod Pampling (71) at 8-under 202, and U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover (68) another shot behind.
Woods had a one-shot lead over Pampling, an advantage that was gone after the opening hole when Woods drove into the gallery and couldn’t reach the green out of the thick rough, a sign of a struggles that would last most of the warm, blustery day before an enormous gallery that was as energetic as any for a non-major this year.
He recovered with a 3-iron to 25 feet, and a leaning fist pump when the eagle putt fell, giving Woods a three-shot lead.
Then came the 11th hole, which has given Woods fits this week. From the left rough, he hit into a bunker some 50 yards short of the green, caught that shot too heavy and slammed his club when it tumbled into another bunker. Woods blasted out to 7 feet, then missed the putt to make double bogey. He has played that hole in 4-over par for the week.
This one cost him the lead.
He didn’t make any mistakes coming in, although he didn’t give himself hardly any birdie chances except for the par-5 16th.
“It was a tough day,” Woods said. “One of those things you just had to grind it out and get through it. There were a lot of lag putts. I just never had a whole lot of birdie chances.”
Woods might need some Sunday playing with Kim, an explosive player who is regarded as the next American star the way he won last year at Quail Hollow and Congressional, then energized the U.S. team in a Ryder Cup victory.
“I’m excited to be there,” he said, and it was evident the way he leaned into the microphone and smiled. “I’m excited for the opportunity. There’s not too many chances you get to play against the best in the world at his golf tournament. I’ve won this tournament before, and I don’t see why I won’t have a good opportunity tomorrow.”
He won last year with a 65 in the final round, and when he made the final putt for the victory, Woods was watching — from his couch in Florida, recovering from knee surgery.
“On TV,” Kim said. “He was in a different state, which was weird. But he was watching. I would love to play great tomorrow.”

Analysis Iran Crisis Set To Rage On

Analysis: Iran crisis set to rage on
By Jim Muir
Former BBC Tehran correspondent
Three weeks after Iran was shaken by its most serious unrest since the 1979 revolution, the dust seems to have settled.Banned and broken up by force, the largely peaceful, massive protest demonstrations have fizzled out. The Guardian Council – the powerful, appointed watchdog body – has formally endorsed the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose unexpectedly large declared margin of victory triggered the protests. On the face of it, Tehran and other Iranian cities now look much as they did before the 12 June elections. So does that mean everything is back to normal, and nothing has changed? That seems unlikely. Opposition defiantThe disturbances, and the crisis they expressed, have left much unsettled business, and many unanswered questions. For one thing, there is an unresolved political rift that is a standing challenge to the ascendant hardliners and the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Two of the three defeated candidates, Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, have kept up their outspoken defiance, repeating their demand for fresh elections and rejecting the legitimacy of any government headed by Mr Ahmadinejad. They are openly supported by the two-term former President, Mohammad Khatami, whose reformist platform won him landslide victories in 1997 and 2001. While they and their millions of supporters may be powerless to confront the system’s instruments of enforcement, their declarations raise issues that go to the heart of the Islamic Republic, its identity and values, and the legitimacy of those now running it. These men are not outsiders. With justice, they call themselves and their associates – many of whom have been arrested – “sons of the revolution”.
They all have long histories of involvement in the revolution against the Shah and in the increasingly Islamist system that followed. In addition to Mr Khatami’s two terms as president, Mr Mousavi was twice prime minister in the 1980s, and Mr Karroubi was twice speaker of the Iranian parliament as well as a leading figure in clerical political organisations. Mr Mousavi is also, it is reported, a cousin of the Supreme Leader. ‘Trust damaged’In his latest statement, Mr Mousavi – who insists he was cheated of election victory – frontally challenged the status quo. “From now on, we will have a government which is in a most dire situation with regard to its relationship with the nation,” he said.
“The majority of people, to which I also belong, do not accept its political legitimacy. “Danger lies ahead. The system which for 30 years was based on the trust of the people, cannot replace the people with security forces overnight. People’s trust is seriously damaged.” Mr Khatami, addressing the families of followers who have been detained, was equally outspoken. “Those who have suppressed people’s protests have destroyed the greatest asset of this system, the confidence of the people, ” he said. “In a propaganda climate which is constantly spewing poison into society, the progressive and peaceful movement of the people is being portrayed as a rebellion, a colour-coded revolution, instigated by foreigners. “A velvet revolution is being staged against the people and against the republicanism of the system. “Protests that are suppressed will fester and will continue, although their forms might change.” Conflicting visionsWhat are colliding here are two conflicting visions of what the Islamic Republic should be – a hitherto unresolved contest that has been visible in different forms since the early days of the revolution.
Mr Ahmadinejad has the public support of the Supreme Leader
One is a strict interpretation of the concept of “Velayat e Feghih”, or the Rule of the Jurisprudent, a system elaborated by, and initially tailored to, the Imam Khomeini, whereby power and authority come from God and are channelled through the Supreme Leader, whose word is unchallengeable. The other is a more liberal, humanistic approach, exemplified by former President Khatami’s advocacy of mardom salari or “sovereignty of the people”, whereby authority ultimately comes from the popular vote, officials are accountable, and the Leader has a benign, supervisory role. Until his death in 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini believed in keeping a balance between these vying philosophies as well as between the various competing power centres which make up the complex Iranian leadership structure. But the past weeks have seen an abrupt lurch away from that policy of balance. In his Friday prayers speech on 19 June, Ayatollah Khamenei made it clear that he sides with the controversial President re-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Since then, the system’s mechanisms of defence and control have been mobilised to protect Mr Ahmadinejad’s announced victory and to suppress dissent. But can an entire trend, with deep historical roots and enough public support to give it landslide victories in the past and encourage it to think it has been cheated this time, simply be suppressed without consequence? DilemmaSome ruling circles appear to think so. “The ideals of the reform movement have now been destroyed,” said the government newspaper Iran. “Its impractical ideas of freedom, tolerance and civil society failed to attract support among the ordinary people who wanted social justice and an end to poverty.” But the fact is that the Supreme Leader and his ally Mr Ahmadinejad face a dilemma. The opposition leaders remain vocally defiant. The only way to silence them would be to arrest or kill them. That would make them heroes and martyrs to their millions of followers, as well as dramatising, for all to see, the magnitude of the system’s internal crisis. Their defiance, flouting the clearly stated views and wishes of the Supreme Leader, carried a step further the process of demystifying his authority that was an inevitable consequence of his openly taking sides in the dispute. It has become a thoroughly worldly power struggle pitting Ayatollah Khamenei and Mr Ahmadinejad, with all the forces under their command, against the reformists and their sympathisers. Caught unhappily in the middle are numerous other influential figures and forces, many of them to the right of centre in the political divide. Many important conservative figures not connected to the reform movement, such as Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, former Speaker Ali-Akbar Nategh-Nouri, and former Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Velayati, are no fans of Mr Ahmadinejad. Neither is the powerful and wealthy, two-term former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is widely believed to have worked strongly against Mr Ahmadinejad during the election. Very few of the Qom-based Islamic clergy, who are supposed to be the backbone of the system, have openly supported or congratulated the president on his re-election victory. A number of very senior liberal-minded clerics have outspokenly denounced what has been happening, including Ayatollahs Montazeri, Sanei and Taheri. Ayatollah Khamenei’s clerical credentials were already questioned by some when he was appointed Supreme Leader in 1989. Relations with WestNow, the whole issue of the Leaderhip, the Velayet e Feghih and the role of the clergy in politics must be an issue of hot debate in the seminaries. Many are believed to have become alarmed by the increasing militarisation of the system that has occurred under Mr Ahmadinejad, a layman, who first become president in 2005 and filled many posts with former Revolutionary Guards officers. So much so that there is much inconclusive discussion among Iran-watchers about who pulls the strings in his relationship with the Supreme Leader.
Anti-British protests have been held outside the UK embassy in Tehran
Some go so far as to argue that the Ayatollah is almost a prisoner of the populist president. Some of the more moderate voices on the right are calling for an accommodation of some sort to reconcile the contradiction that has become so glaringly unresolved. But for the moment, the powers that be seem to be bent on a course of trying to repress dissent and blaming the unrest on outsiders in general and Britain in particular. The arrest of several Iranian employees of the British embassy in Tehran, for alleged involvement in stirring up the disturbances, threatens to aggravate the considerable effect the events have had in further complicating Iran’s already troubled relations with the West. All 27 members of the European Union on Friday called in Iranian ambassadors to protest against the detentions. This was a lesser step than advocated by London, which wanted to see EU ambassadors withdrawn from Tehran – a move which might be next on the agenda should the employees be put on trial and sentenced. All this underlined how far relations have worsened since five or six years ago, when the then British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was a frequent visitor to Tehran in pursuit of “constructive engagement” over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The prospects for a dialogue between Tehran and Washington also appear to have been dealt a sharp setback. Aware that the last thing the reformist protesters needed was a pat on the back from him, US President Barack Obama initially tried to keep well out of it, while expressing concern for human rights. But as the drama intensified and the images of violence became harder to ignore, neutrality also became harder to stick to and the language toughened, drawing a sharp response from Tehran. Beyond the difficulties raised by the rhetorical exchanges, Mr Obama faced the dilemma that dealing with an Ahmadinejad-led administration would be seen as endorsing a setup whose legitimacy was being questioned by the very forces with which the US is most in sympathy. At the very least, the turmoil in Tehran is likely to lead to a delay in the start of any serious contacts between the US and Iran, a process which Mr Obama had hoped to be able to assess by the end of the year. For him, the disputed election outcome is the worst possible result. Had Mr Ahmadinejad emerged victorious and without dissent, Washington would clearly have had no qualms about entering a dialogue as soon as it became possible. Syria factorHowever, Tehran’s current self-absorption may have some dividend for Mr Obama, who, on 4 July, got an exceptionally warm Independence Day message from President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, with a verbal invitation to visit Damascus. Syria has a long-standing strategic alliance with non-Arab Iran, mainly based on shared hostility to their mutual neighbour Iraq under Saddam Hussein. But after four years of tension, Washington is sending an ambassador back to Damascus and relations are slowly warming. Syria is not going to break with Tehran in a hurry. But chaos in Iran would certainly make it easier for Damascus to slip quietly into other relationships.

Source:BBC

Former NFL Star McNair Found Dead In Nashville

NASHVILLE (Reuters) –
Former star NFL quarterback Steve McNair was found shot to death in Nashville on Saturday, police said.
A woman's body was also found at McNair's downtown condominium. McNair was 36.
“The circumstances surrounding the shooting deaths remain under active investigation,” Nashville police said in a statement. Police department spokesman Don Aaron said no suspects had been taken into custody. Police were called to the scene in the early afternoon.
McNair played 13 seasons on the NFL, mostly with the Tennessee Titans and its predecessor team, the Houston Oilers.
Drafted by the Oilers in 1995 out of Alcorn State College in Mississippi, McNair led the Titans to their only Super Bowl appearance — after the 1999 season, losing to the St. Louis Rams. He was the NFL's co-MVP in 2003, and was selected for the Pro Bowl three times.
McNair ended his career with the Baltimore Ravens and retired after the 2007 season.
“We are saddened and shocked to hear the news of Steve McNair's passing today,” Titans owner K. S. “Bud” Adams said in a statement on the team's website.
“He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl.”
Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason, a former teammate, said: “Steve was such a happy person. I even called him 'Smile'. He was always smiling and was always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed it. I've known him for 13 years, and he was the most selfless, happiest and friendliest person I have known.”
McNair last month opened a restaurant in Nashville — Gridiron9.
As word of McNair's death spread around the city, fans gathered at LP Field, the Titans' stadium, to leave cards, flowers and signs.
(Writing by Ros Krasny in Chicago)

Serena Too Hot For Venus To Handle

LONDON (Reuters) –
Serena Williams can stomach her sister's name emblazoned on the singles trophy, she even accepted the smaller room in their rented house, but she put her foot down to snatch back the Wimbledon title on Saturday.
Her emphatic 7-6 6-2 victory over 29-year-old Venus to capture an 11th grand slam singles title on Independence Day will not make any classic Wimbledon compilation DVDs, but it was razor-sharp, ruthless and just too hot for her elder sibling.
Venus strode out on a sunlit Center Court having not dropped a set at the grasscourt grand slam since the third round in 2007 and relinquished 19 games to reach the final this year.
She seemed poised to complete a hat-trick of women's singles titles last achieved by Steffi Graf in 1993 but in the end she was forced to play second fiddle in the 21st career meeting of the siblings since they took tennis by storm.
Later in the day, as the sun dipped down behind Center Court's roof, Serena and Venus teamed up to win their fourth Wimbledon women's doubles title, defeating Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs of Australia 7-6 6-4.
It was consolation of sorts for Venus, who has now lost six of the eight grand slam singles finals she has played against Serena, three of them at Wimbledon.
She had looked the more composed on Saturday until the first-set tiebreak, which Serena won with a sublime lob, but then seemed powerless as Serena blazed away to raise the Venus Rosewater Dish for a third time.
“I didn't think about Venus at all today. I just saw her as an opponent,” said second seed Serena, who walked in to meet the world's media wearing a cheeky T-shirt asking “Are You Looking at My Titles?”
It is unlikely that smooth Swiss Roger Federer will turn up wearing anything quite so brash on Sunday should he beat American Andy Roddick in the men's singles final and claim a record 15th grand slam title — one more than Pete Sampras.
Serena's next major title, if and when it comes, would draw her level with fellow American Billie Jean King, who watched from the Royal Box, in sixth place in the list of all-time women's grand slam singles winners.
“It's unbelievable,” said the 27-year-old who now holds three of the four slams. “I'm looking at the next goal of someone like Billie Jean King, who is completely my idol. To get to her level and have 12 would be even better.”
Venus lags behind Serena with seven grand slam titles but would have had an awful lot more if her sister had not followed her on to the tennis courts of Compton 20 odd years ago.
“It's a wonderful achievement,” she said of her sister's glittering haul. “She's played so well so many times. You know, a lot of the times actually at my expense.”
The siblings' previous three clashes in the Wimbledon final, with the possible exception of last year's tussle, failed to really engage the Center Court spectators who never seem to quite know who to support.
It was no different this time.
Unlike Serena's epic against Russia's Elena Dementieva on Thursday, when she saved a match point before prevailing in the longest women's semi-final at Wimbledon, there was no ebb and flow, few rallies that really stood out.
I SHOVE
The bish-bash-boom nature of the contest was almost entirely without subtlety although the power exchanges between the finalists did have a certain beauty of their own.
“I'm a shover. Some people push, but I shove,” Venus responded to one question about her tactics. “That's my mentality. I have to just hit, and I can't help it. It's just hard to change my mind.”
Serena pounced in the tiebreak, taking a 6-2 lead. Venus saved the first after Hawkeye showed a Serena forehand had landed just out but on the next point she was forced forward by a low netcord and Serena fizzed a topspin lob over her head.
It seemed to crush Venus's resolve and although she hung on grimly at the end, saving three match points, she failed to clear the net with a backhand on the forth and the title was Serena's again after a six-year wait.
“I felt like my name should have been there at least once more,” said Serena. “At least I got in another one.”
Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia made sure July the Fourth did not belong totally to Americans, beating twins Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6 6-7 7-6 6-3 to retain the men's doubles title.
(Editing by Kevin Fylan and Pritha Sarkar)

Former NFL Star McNair Found Dead In Nashville

NASHVILLE (Reuters) –
Former star NFL quarterback Steve McNair was found shot to death in Nashville on Saturday, police said.
A woman's body was also found at McNair's downtown condominium. McNair was 36.
“The circumstances surrounding the shooting deaths remain under active investigation,” Nashville police said in a statement. Police department spokesman Don Aaron said no suspects had been taken into custody. Police were called to the scene in the early afternoon.
McNair played 13 seasons on the NFL, mostly with the Tennessee Titans and its predecessor team, the Houston Oilers.
Drafted by the Oilers in 1995 out of Alcorn State College in Mississippi, McNair led the Titans to their only Super Bowl appearance — after the 1999 season, losing to the St. Louis Rams. He was the NFL's co-MVP in 2003, and was selected for the Pro Bowl three times.
McNair ended his career with the Baltimore Ravens and retired after the 2007 season.
“We are saddened and shocked to hear the news of Steve McNair's passing today,” Titans owner K. S. “Bud” Adams said in a statement on the team's website.
“He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl.”
McNair last month opened a restaurant in Nashville — Gridiron9.
As word of McNair's death spread around the city, fans gathered at LP Field, the Titans' stadium, to leave cards, flowers and signs.
(Writing by Ros Krasny in Chicago)

LondonSafety Questions After Flat Fire

Safety questions after flat fire
Questions are being raised about the design of a South London block of flats after a fire which killed six people.Officials are examining escape routes and fire prevention measures at the 12-storey Lakanal House in Camberwell. The area’s MP, Harriet Harman, said people were “asking questions” about the safety of the building, which has a single central staircase. Fire officers said that while the building design was common, the rapid way the fire had spread was unusual. The victims have been named as Helen Udoaka, 34, and her three-week-old daughter Michelle, Dayana Francisquini, 26, Filipe Francisquini, three, and Catherine Hickman, 31. The sixth victim is believed to be a four-year-old girl, but they have not yet been named. A firefighter remains in hospital, though police said his condition was not thought to be serious. TrappedMs Harman said there would “have to be a thorough investigation into what caused this fire and whether the prevention was adequate”. “There are many blocks with one central stairwell and questions will have to be asked about what happens when a fire breaks out,” she said. One of the victims, Dayana Francisquini, had locked herself and her two children in their bathroom in a bid to survive, a neighbour who spoke to her on the telephone during the fire, told the Mail on Sunday. “Dayana told me, ‘I tried to get out but the firemen told me to stay in the bathroom with the children and put wet towels on the floor’,” Yolimar Caboz told the newspaper. A London Fire Brigade spokesman said the advice to remain inside a bathroom with wet towels at the base of the door was standard procedure if a stairwell was considered too dangerous to pass.
‘Maze’Tower blocks such as Lakanal House had been designed so that fire did not rapidly spread, said Brian Coleman, chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. “In buildings such as this one you should be safe for an hour before fire jumps from floor to floor,” he told Sky News. “That wasn’t the case in these circumstances and I think we need to know why the fire spread so quickly and jumped between floors in such a short space of time.” Onlookers had reported seeing people trapped inside shouting for help. And one resident said the layout of the maisonettes was like “a maze” – making evacuation difficult. ‘Complex’The Metropolitan Police said the fire began in a flat on the ninth floor, but that all those who died were on the 11th floor, with other floors also affected.

“It’s a very complex, very large inquiry,” Chief Supt Wayne Chance said. London mayor Boris Johnson described the fire on the Sceaux Gardens Estate as a “horrendous incident”. “It does seem suspicious that the fire was spreading so quickly and clearly that will be one of the prime subjects for the investigation,” he said. “Obviously we will want to know whether… the fire was set, whether there was any malign intent.” There would also be an investigation into whether there were any “design failures” in the building, he said. Listed buildingAbout 30 people had to be rescued from the building as the fire spread. Another 120 were evacuated. London Fire Brigade (LFB) assistant commissioner Nick Collins said it was “one of the most significant fires in some time in terms of lives lost”. More than 100 firefighters tackled the incident, some of who suffered from heat exhaustion, he added. Resident Carol Cooper, 38, who lives on the seventh floor, described “seeing people and children waving for help”. She added that the tenants had called for the block to be demolished two or three years ago – but had been told it was a listed building, and had to be preserved. Southwark council’s executive member for housing, Kim Humphries, said the tower block had undergone a 3m refurbishment programme two years ago. This is understood to have included fitting new windows and electrical cabling.

Source:BBC

NFL Star McNair Found Shot Dead

NFL star McNair found shot dead
Recently retired American football star Steve McNair and an unnamed woman have been found shot dead in Nashville, Tennessee, police say.”Air” McNair, who played 13 years with the National Football League and was a quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, had a gunshot wound to the head. The two bodies were found in his flat in the city and police are treating the case as a double homicide. Police say they believe they know the woman’s identity but gave no details. McNair led the Titans within a yard of forcing overtime in the 2000 Super Bowl, which they lost 23-16 to the St Louis Rams. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens before retiring in April 2008 after injuries.
“We don’t know the details, but it is a terrible tragedy and our hearts go out to the families involved,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. Titans owner Bud Adams was “saddened and shocked” by news of McNair’s death. “He was one of the finest players to play for our organisation and one of the most beloved players by our fans,” he said. “He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl.”

Source:BBC

Calif Bullet Train Hits Criticism On SF Peninsula

MENLO PARK, Calif. – Last November, more than 60 percent of voters on the San Francisco Peninsula supported a 9.9 billion bond measure to help pay for a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and the Los Angeles area.
As planning accelerates, some of the area’s residents are raising concerns about the project. They fear it could take out trees, homes and businesses and split their communities with elevated trains flashing between San Francisco and San Jose.
The objections raise the prospect that the bullet train line may not reach San Francisco, one of its key destinations.
It’s a hurdle that high-speed rail planners could face in other heavily populated areas of California as they embark on the nation’s most ambitious intrastate rail project, threatening delays that could stall the project for years if extensive opposition surfaces.
If completed as planned, the rail system would stretch 800 miles and link the San Francisco Bay area, Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Diego with trains running at speeds of up to 220 mph.
California’s line and a Midwestern project are the likely front runners for 8 billion in federal stimulus money dedicated to development of high-speed and conventional rail. It’s not clear whether delays, either through neighborhood opposition or lawsuits, would jeopardize California’s share.
By the time the entire California high-speed rail system is completed, the total cost is expected to top 45 billion.
In some of the neighborhoods south of San Francisco, residents are urging the state high-speed rail board to consider tunneling, trenching or making San Jose the system’s terminus in the Bay Area. That step would require riders to take commuter trains from the heart of Silicon Valley to San Francisco.
Others suggest a different route, perhaps taking the trains off the peninsula and reaching San Francisco through an underwater tube from Oakland.
Their allies in the California Legislature have inserted language into a pending bill that would require the rail board to consider a different San Jose-to-San Francisco route than the one currently selected.
“We’re supportive of (high-speed rail), but we have some deep concerns over potential implementation,” said Patrick Burt, a city councilman from Palo Alto, a peninsula community about 30 miles southeast of San Francisco.
Palo Alto and four other peninsula cities — Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame and Menlo Park — have joined to create a unified voice on the project.
Atherton, Menlo Park and Palo Alto also are involved in a lawsuit challenging the rail board’s selection of the Pacheco Pass as the primary route for trains between the Bay Area and the Central Valley. They say a more northerly route, through the Altamont Pass, would be the better choice.
Making Altamont the primary route could leave all or some peninsula cities untouched by high-speed rail, depending on where tracks are placed.
Last year’s bond measure designated the San Francisco to Los Angeles and Anaheim segment as the first built. State officials hope to have it finished by 2020. Links to San Diego and Sacramento could follow shortly after, depending on funding, said Mehdi Morshed, the rail board’s executive director.
Planners have settled on the corridor used by the Caltrain commuter line as the best high-speed rail route on the peninsula, but they haven’t decided if trains will run above or below ground. They also haven’t determined if tunneling would be more expensive than other alternatives.
Part of the 52-mile-long corridor is wide enough for Caltrain and high-speed rail tracks to run side by side. In narrower sections, tracks might have to be stacked or the state might have to obtain adjoining property through eminent domain, Morshed said.
That has some residents worried that elevated trains will split their communities, that the rail board will need to expand the right of way or both.
A Web site established by a group of peninsula residents features pictures depicting the transformation of Menlo Park’s picturesque, tree-lined Caltrain station into a barren place with trains on a cement berm.
“There’s going to be a huge amount of unhappiness if they don’t do it right,” said Malcolm Dudley, a former Atherton city councilman. “Right means tunneling it. It’s done all over the world in urban centers.”
Menlo Park Vice Mayor Richard Cline estimates seven to 15 miles of tunneling could be necessary to avoid major impacts on peninsula cities.
Morshed said the board will have to consider terminating high-speed trains in San Jose if environmental obstacles and public opposition are too daunting. But rail board member Quentin Kopp, a semiretired judge and former state senator, said a San Jose terminus would violate voters’ intent when they approved Proposition 1A.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom also would fight any attempt to stop the trains short of his city, a mayoral spokesman said. “The economics of high-speed rail depend entirely on connecting LA and San Francisco,” said Michael Cohen, San Francisco’s director of economic and workforce development.
Whatever option is chosen, peninsula residents simply want a transparent process that considers their opinions, said Nadia Naik of Palo Alto, who helped form a citizens’ group, Californians Advocating for Responsible Rail Design.
“That would give us tremendous peace of mind,” Naik said. “Nobody’s done that. We get a lot of, ‘Oh, you’re just 50 people who complain.’”
High-speed rail planners say they’ve held dozens of community meetings and will continue to reach out to peninsula residents to hear their concerns.
“Our prime responsibility is to do as little disruption and as little damage and inconvenience as possible…,” Morshed said.
___
On the Net:

http://www.cahighspeedrail.com

http://www.hsr-letsdoitright.com

http://tiny.cc/2oiJ9

Friend Feels Shes Always The Caller Whos Waiting

DEAR ABBY: I often go to the movies with my friend “Valerie.” During the movie she puts her phone on mute, but I can still hear when it vibrates. Val acts embarrassed by it, but she never turns the phone off.
As soon as the movie ends, Val will check her phone for the message. (It’s never anything that couldn’t wait.) Then she returns the call and talks to the caller all the way out of the theater and to her car where we say our goodbyes.
The last time we went to a film, I met her at a cinema miles from where I live, battling rush-hour traffic. When I arrived, she was standing in line with her exercise instructor. They spent the extra hour before the movie began discussing workout techniques, completely ignoring me and the instructor’s husband. Val also “had” to place a call to a co-worker while we waited.
When Valerie calls me, she’ll interrupt me in mid-sentence to take a non-emergency call from family. She promises to call me right back, but never does. Abby, I value her friendship, but I’m tired of her rudeness. I’m not good at confrontations. What can I do? — SECOND BANANA
DEAR SECOND BANANA: The relationship you have with Val is not what I would call friendship. Friends enjoy each other’s company and enjoy talking with each other. Friends are sensitive to each other’s feelings. With each of the actions you have described, Val is demonstrating that you — and your feelings — are less important than what she impulsively decides to do at the moment.
Under the circumstances, I don’t think it would be “confrontational” to tell this woman that your feelings are hurt and why. From where I sit, she has treated you like nothing more than a seat partner.
DEAR ABBY: What does it mean when a spouse refers only to himself when talking about things that involve the two of us as a couple? Example: We’re building a house, but he never says “we” when talking about it. He’ll say, “my house,” or “I’m not going to pay that much.”
When I mention this to him, he gets angry and says, “You know what I mean.” Well, I don’t because I always say “we” when referring to financial matters or anything else that pertains to both of us. Am I being petty? — TEAM PLAYER IN OHIO
DEAR TEAM PLAYER: Yes, if you take this personally. In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t worth picking a fight over. And if you’re smart, you will choose your battles.
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are invited to my dad and stepmom’s house for almost every holiday. There are usually 25 to 35 people at these events. After dinner, the “girls” are expected to clear the tables, wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. I don’t mind volunteering, but my stepmom INSISTS. No dessert is served until everything is clean.
When I invite guests to my home, I ask them to leave the dishes and “let’s enjoy ourselves.” I believe that when you invite people over, you should not expect them to work unless they volunteer. Am I wrong to feel this way? — STUCK IN A CYCLE
DEAR STUCK: You are entitled to your feelings, but what you are describing are two different styles of entertaining. Your father and stepmom are traditional in their thinking, as demonstrated by the gender-driven division of labor. While I agree that your stepmom could be less heavy-handed in her approach, it is her house, and on their turf, the hosts get to make the rules. If you really resent being conscripted when you attend these gatherings, perhaps you should attend fewer of them.
CONFIDENTIAL TO PAULINE PHILLIPS IN MINNEAPOLIS: It’s your birthday, Mama — 91 amazing years. You have taught me by example all of the important life lessons, and I love you with all my heart. Happy Birthday, Sweetheart.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
To receive a collection of Abby’s most memorable — and most frequently requested — poems and essays, send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for 6 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby — Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included in the price.)

African Move On Bashir Dismissed

African move on Bashir dismissed
The African Union’s (AU) decision not to help arrest Sudan’s president will not affect the International Criminal Court’s work, its prosecutor says.Luis Moreno Ocampo told the BBC Omar al-Bashir was still a wanted man and that it was up to each African state to decide whether to arrest him. Mr Bashir was indicted over alleged atrocities in Darfur in March. But on Friday an AU meeting in Libya agreed a resolution saying they would not co-operate in his arrest. In a statement, the AU pointed out that its request to the UN Security Council to delay Mr Bashir’s indictment had been ignored. Mr Ocampo told the BBC that the AU decision was no victory for Sudan or Mr Bashir. “No-one is saying he’s innocent,” he said. He said each of the 30 African states that signed up to the Rome treaty establishing the court would have to decide for themselves whether to arrest the Sudanese leader. And he added that only the Security Council could suspend or lift the indictment against Mr Bashir, not the ICC. The court has indicted the Sudanese president on two counts of war crimes – intentionally directing attacks on civilians and pillage – as well as five counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and torture, all related to the conflict in the Darfur region. He denies the allegations, saying the state has a responsibility to fight rebels.

Source:BBC

Former NFL Quarterback McNair Killed In Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair has been shot and killed.
Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron confirmed that police were called to a residence and found McNair and a woman shot to death inside. Aaron said authorities don’t yet know the circumstances of the shooting.
“I don’t have any answers for you now as to what’s happened, who’s responsible,” he said.
Aaron said police have tentatively identified the woman but did not release her name.
McNair played 13 seasons in the NFL and led the Titans within a yard of forcing overtime in the 2000 Super Bowl. The former third overall draft pick also played for the Baltimore Ravens before retiring after the 2007 season.
“He was one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans,” Titans owner Bud Adams said in a statement. “He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl.”

More Than 1 Million Seek Tix For Jackson Memorial

US Man Sets Hot Dog-eating Record

US man sets hot dog-eating record
The world record for competitive hot dog eating has been broken in the US.Joey “Jaws” Chestnut ate 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes at the annual 4 July contest at Coney Island in New York, shattering his old record of 66. His main rival, Japan’s six-time winner Takeru “Tsunami” Kobayashi, ate 64 and a half. It is thought the two men ate around 19,000 calories between them. The first such hot dog eating contest was held in 1916, when the winner put away only 13 franks. The two men have gone gut-to-gut for almost a decade at the annual competition, which has become an Independence Day tradition in the US. This year’s contest was broadcast live on sports channel ESPN, and featured much of the fanfare usually reserved for professional sporting events. Mr Chestnut, who won his third straight title in a row, takes home 20,000 (12,250) in prize money and the coveted Mustard Belt. The 25-year-old Californian is a man of diverse taste, the BBC’s Jon Donnison reports from Washington. His other world records include eating 5kg of macaroni and cheese in seven minutes; and 188 jalapeno peppers in 10 minutes.

Source:BBC

More Than 1 Million Seek Tix For Jackson Memorial

Former NFL Quarterback Steve McNair Killed Police Say

Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was killed in a shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, authorities said Saturday.
Steve McNair, 36, spent 13 seasons in the NFL, the majority with the Tennessee Titans.
Police said they found McNair and a woman shot to death in a Nashville residence after receiving a phone call about an injured person. The woman has been tentatively identified, but her name is not being released, authorities said. A law enforcement source close to the investigation said the woman is McNair’s girlfriend and that the residence is her condominium in downtown Nashville. Witnesses said he was a frequent visitor there. Authorities were questioning people who were near the home, but they said no one was in custody. They could not provide details as to the circumstances of the shooting. McNair’s brother, Fred, also confirmed the death but had no immediate details. McNair, 36, spent 13 seasons in the NFL, the majority with the Tennessee Titans, before announcing his retirement in April 2008. He spent his last two seasons with Baltimore Ravens and he was the NFL’s co-MVP in 2003. The owner of the Titans, Bud Adams, Jr., said in a statement that the organization was “saddened and shocked” to hear of McNair’s death. “He was one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans,” Adams said. “He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl.” The Titans marked a Super Bowl loss to the St. Louis Rams in 2000. McNair attended Alcorn State in Mississippi.
Source:CNN

US Community Fears Serial Killer

US community fears serial killer
People in a rural part of South Carolina have cancelled Independence Day events and are arming themselves in fear of a killer after five shootings.A girl of 15 injured in an attack which killed her father on Thursday has died in hospital, the Cherokee County coroner announced. Police are linking their deaths to the shooting of two women and a man days before, and suspect a serial killer. They believe the suspect is a man in his 40s, driving a Ford Explorer.
A police sketch has been released of a male who is said to be tall with salt and pepper hair. “We’re knee-deep in the investigation,” said County Sheriff Bill Blanton. “There’s fear and concern here and there should be concern.” He would not say how the five deaths were related but it is known that all victims were shot:
• Abby Tyler died on Saturday after being wounded on Thursday as she worked with her father close to an appliances store in Gaffney; Stephen Tyler, 45, was found dead at the scene • Relatives found Hazel Linder, 83, and her daughter Gena Linder, 50, bound and shot to death in their home on Wednesday, seven miles from the scene of the Tyler shootings • Peach farmer Kline Cash, 63, was found dead in his home by his wife on Saturday (27 June) The shootings all occurred within about 10 miles (16km) of each other in Cherokee County, a rural community of 54,000 people set amid peach orchards and farms some 50 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. Dozens of local, state and federal investigators have been assigned to the case. Cherokee County resident Hazel Smith, 47, told the Associated Press news ahency her neighbours felt vulnerable. “If he killed once, he’ll kill again,” she said. “Tonight, I’m going to stay inside and pray, pray a little harder that he gets caught.”

Source:BBC

Marines March In Grueling Afghan Sun For July 4

NAWA, Afghanistan – Taliban militants were nowhere in sight as the columns of U.S. Marines walked a third straight day across southern Afghanistan. But the desert heat proved an enemy in its own right, with several troops falling victim Saturday to temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Marines carry 50-100 pounds (23-45 kilograms) on their backs. But because they are marching through farmland on foot, they can’t carry nearly as much water as their thirst demands.
Few even realized the date was July 4, but once word of the holiday spread through the company, several said they knew relatives would be holding lakeside celebrations — a world away from the strenuous task Bravo Company of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment was taking on.
“Happy 4th of July, dawg. Happy America,” said Lance Corp. Vince Morales, 21, of Baytown, Texas said to one of his Marine buddies while resting under a tree during a break.
Some Marines ate watermelon from a farmer’s field as the evening sun set, but there were few other signs of a holiday celebration here.
Some 4,000 Marines are moving through southern Helmand to take back Taliban-held territory and pinch the insurgents’ supply lines. Bravo Company has seen a lot of walking but up to now little fighting, though other Marines in the operation have had extended battles.
So far, the worst danger facing Bravo is the heat. Temperatures are well above 100 degrees (37.8 Celsius), and medics treated several heat casualties Saturday.
“When (body) temperature goes up past 104 (40 Celsius), your brain starts cooking, and that’s what we’re trying to prevent,” said Simon Trujillo, an HM3 Navy Medic from Dallas.
The high heat, heavy packs, limited water and three straight days of walking through tough farmland terrain were taking a toll, he said. Several Marines threw up or were dry-heaving from the heat. Three passed out, and other Marines rushed to share the weight and pour water on overheated bodies.
“It’s pretty taxing on your body. There’s no way to prepare for this,” said Trujillo.
One cruel irony: A helicopter dropped off a load of water to the Marines early Saturday, but because they hadn’t yet reached their final destination, they took only what they could carry and left hundreds of bottles behind for Afghan villagers to drink.
The sun in southern Helmand is blazing by 8 a.m., and the troops seek out any sliver of shade available. Trees grow along the many manmade water canals the farmers use to survive here, but there is little relief elsewhere.
Sweat pours off faces as Marines shift heavy weapons from one shoulder to the other. Everyone still carries all the ammunition they arrived with in the dark hours of early Thursday, because this unit has not yet exchanged fire.
The Marines walk in columns down dusty dirt roads, and every couple dozen steps they bend over at the waist to give aching shoulders a break. During frequent breaks, medics go up and down the line, looking to see if their men are drinking water.
“It’d be so great if we took contact. We’d lose so much weight,” said Lance Corp. Michael Estrada, 20, of Los Angeles.
Lance Corp. Bryan Knight, a mortar man, carries one of the heaviest pack. The 21-year-old Cincinnati native weighs a slight 145 pounds (65.8 kilograms) — and his pack almost equals him.
He carries a 15-pound (6.8-kilogram) mortar base plate, four mortar rockets that weigh 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) each, about 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) of water and another 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms) of combat gear — ammunition, weapon and his flak jacket.
Unsurprisingly, he is drenched in sweat. “The only dry parts of my clothes are the pockets,” he said.
Squatting in a lean-to made out of a camouflage poncho beside Knight was Corp. Aaron Shade, 24, of Greenville, Ohio, who hadn’t realized it was Independence Day back home in the U.S.
“My family’s out on the boat house riding on jet skis, drinking lots of beer,” he said. “That’s not depressing to think about.”
The company captain, Drew Schoenmaker, said the heat was affecting militants as well, noting there were few daytime attacks theater-wide and none on his unit. He said he doubted people back in the United States could understand how hard his Marines work.
“Someone back home might say, ‘Oh, it’s 100 degrees here, too.’ But you’re not trying to carry 60 or 90 pounds and people aren’t trying to kill you,” he said. “And you can always step out of the sun. You can’t always do that here.”

AP Interview Jackson Adviser Tohme Breaks Silence

LOS ANGELES – Dr. Tohme Tohme vividly remembers the first time he met with Michael Jackson to discuss the pop star’s finances. It’s not the money talk that stays with him now, but his enchantment at entering Jackson’s world of love.
“I saw how kind he was and what a wonderful human being,” Tohme said in an interview. “I saw him with his children and I had never seen a better father. … I decided to do what I could to help him.”
Tohme, a financier with a murky past, had been contacted by Jackson’s brother, Jermaine, who asked if Tohme could help to save Jackson’s beloved Neverland ranch from foreclosure. Tohme said he traveled with Jermaine to Las Vegas, where Jackson was living after years of wandering the world following his acquittal on child molestation charges.
They bonded instantly. “For the last year and a half I was the closest person to Michael Jackson,” Tohme said. He contacted Tom Barrack, the chairman of Colony Capital and a close personal friend. “He was hesitant to get involved, but I said, ‘Let’s go see Michael,’” Tohme recalled.
After the meeting he said Barrack, who was impressed with Jackson’s “intelligence and focus,” bought the note for Neverland. But that was just the beginning of a business relationship that culminated in the London concerts that were to have begun next week.
Wearing a suit with no tie, Tohme, Jackson’s last business manager and spokesperson, granted his first interview Friday to The Associated Press in the office of a lawyer friend.
Tohme, listed in public records as being in his late 50s, has been portrayed as something of a mystery man in the Jackson brain trust.
“I hate the words ‘mystery man,’” he said. “I’m a private man. A lot of people like the media and I don’t. I respect the privacy of other people but lately nobody respects mine.”
As he spoke, his cell phone rang constantly. He took only a few calls, one of them from Jesse Jackson.
He has been stung by allegations that he was involved with the Nation of Islam, which he said was untrue.
“I have nothing against anybody,” he said, “But I don’t know anyone from the Nation of Islam. When I took over Michael Jackson’s affairs, I fired some people from the Nation of Islam.”
It is known that he is of Lebanese descent. His double name — pronounced toh-MAY’ — is not uncommon in the Middle East. But he declined to go into detail about his own life and career other than to say he is a U.S. citizen who was raised in Los Angeles and, “I’m a self-made man. I’m in the world of finance.”
“I don’t want to talk about me,” he said. “I’m a nobody. I’m not important. I want to talk about Michael Jackson.”
At times he appeared on the verge of tears as he discussed Jackson’s death, saying, “It’s unbelievable … I’m devastated … God bless his soul.”
He said that by talking about Jackson, he was fulfilling one of the star’s wishes.
“He always said to me, ‘I want people to really know who I am after I’m gone.’”
He would only briefly discuss Jackson’s finances. During his time with the superstar, Tohme said, he was paid nothing but was able to negotiate lucrative business deals that would secure the future of Jackson’s children. He followed a long line of business managers and spokespeople who had come and gone from Jackson over the years. In the final year, he said he played a pivotal role in turning things around.
His negotiations for Jackson included a Broadway show with the Nederlander organization, an animated TV show based on “Thriller,” a line of clothing including “moonwalk shoes,” and more. He said he was working with others to renegotiate the terms of Jackson’s main assets, his share of the Sony-ATV Music Publishing Catalog — which includes music by the Beatles — and the catalog of Mijac, the company that controls Michael Jackson’s own music.
“I am not in the music business. I’m a stranger to this business,” Tohme said, noting that he had stiff competition from others who wanted to take over Jackson’s finances.
“I built a fence around Michael to keep people out,” he said, acknowledging that he cut costs by firing many members of the Jackson staff, including security guards. And he twice fired the children’s nanny, Grace Rawaramba, on Jackson’s orders.
“I was trying to do what we could to maximize his profits and minimize spending. I wanted to find a way to reel in all the loans he had.
“We had an agreement,” Tohme continued. “I would never interfere with his creative decisions and he wouldn’t interfere with my business decisions.”
Tohme said he abandoned everything he was doing in his own life to concentrate his time and effort on Jackson’s affairs. He points with pride to the crown jewel of his and the new Jackson team’s efforts: the contract with AEG for concerts at the 02 arena in London.
He said Jackson was looking forward to the concerts because he wanted his children to see him perform.
Like others before him, Tohme was caught up in the excitement of Jackson’s world. He traveled with him to London, where they saw the play “Oliver” and were mobbed by fans. “I had never seen fans who loved anyone so much and he loved them just as much,” Tohme said.
Tohme uses the title “Dr.” and apparently has a medical degree, though there is no record that he has practiced in the United States. He said he was convinced that Jackson was in perfect health the last time he saw him, two days before he died. He said the star kept himself and his children on a healthy diet, never ate red meat, didn’t drink and, as far as he knew, never took drugs.
He said he is disappointed that Jackson won’t be buried at Neverland but hopes that may change: “He deserves to be buried in the wonderful world he created.”
In Jackson’s final months, Tohme said they talked about his wish to create “a special place ten times bigger than Graceland” where fans could come to see Jackson’s memorabilia and awards. Jackson even talked about creating a veritable city for children.
“He wanted to be remembered as a great human being and he wanted to create as many happy places for the children of the world as he could,” said Tohme.
The day Jackson died, as Tohme rushed to the hospital unsure if his friend was alive or dead, he said he remembered precious moments: Jackson bringing his children to Tohme’s house for Thanksgiving dinner; Jackson and his children singing “Happy Birthday” to Tohme on the phone; the last time he saw Jackson at Staples Center, rehearsing for his big comeback.
And he remembered Jackson’s last words to him that day: “I love you.”

Soldier Who Fought In Pink Boxers Home For 4th

FORT WORTH, Texas – The soldier who was photographed fighting the Taliban in his boxer shorts says he’s glad to be back home in Texas after his yearlong deployment to Afghanistan — especially on the Fourth of July.
Specialist Zachary Boyd says he initially thought he’d get in trouble after an Associated Press photo showed him with other soldiers behind sandbags — while wearing his pink boxers and flip-flops, plus his helmet and bulletproof vest.
The Fort Worth soldier said he had jumped up from a nap when his unit came under fire and didn’t want to waste time putting on his uniform.
But Boyd has been praised for his courage.
And now that he’s home in Fort Worth he says his boxers will be displayed in the 1st Infantry Division museum at Fort Riley, Kansas.

Northern IrelandFoyle And WestDigger Used In Cash Machine Theft

Digger used in cash machine theft
Thieves have used a digger to remove a cash machine from a supermarket in County Fermanagh. The robbery at the shop at Clones Road, Newtownbutler, was reported to police at about 0430 BST on Saturday. After removing the ATM from the shop, the robbers set the digger on fire and made off in a white vehicle with cash. Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

Source:BBC

Iconic Skyscrapers Find New Luster In Green Tech

NEW YORK – When owners of the Empire State Building decided to blanket its towering facade this year with thousands of insulating windows, they were only partly interested in saving energy.
They also needed tenants.
After 78 years, Manhattan’s signature office building had lost its sheen as one of the city’s most desirable places to work. To get it back, the owners did what an increasing number of property owners have done — they went green, shelling out 120 million on a variety of environmental improvements, a move would have been considered a huge gamble a few years ago.
Buildings that define city skylines across the country, some national icons, are catching up to the sleek, new structures designed with efficiency in mind, as property owners and managers become convinced that a greener building now makes financial sense.
That’s because in recent years environmental retrofits have begun to pay off for owners and tenants alike. Higher-profile companies are seeking out more efficient office space, and new technology at older buildings has started to translate into higher property values, leases and occupancy rates.
“In a good market, we’re going to get the best rents for the best tenants,” said Anthony E. Malkin, who leads a real estate group that owns the Empire State Building. “In a bad market like we have now, we’re going to get tenants when other buildings won’t.”
Renovation specialists around the country have been plugging porous walls in numerous old buildings, adding high tech water systems and using recycled material in carpets and tile.
One of them is the Christman Building in Lansing, Mich., an 81-year-old Elizabethan Revival office that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While repairing the limestone exterior and preserving unique details like the mica light fixtures, the building owners spent 8.5 million to add water-efficient plumbing and increased the amount of natural light. They also capped the building with a reflective “cool” roof.
Chicago’s Sears Tower announced late last month that it will embark on a five-year, 350 million green renovation. The 110-story, staggered skyscraper, which turned 36 this year, will crown its rooftops with solar panels, wind turbines and up to 35,000 square feet of sunlight-absorbing gardens.
When complete, the improvements will cut the tower’s annual electricity use by 80 percent and save 24 million gallons of water, property managers say.
Building owners trumpet their environmental commitment when extensive modifications are made, yet in many cases those changes are being pushed by tenants.
Many high-profile tenants won’t even consider moving into a property without the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, said Allan Skodowski with Transwestern management group. They may not even know what the certification means, he said, but they demand it nonetheless.
“They say ‘We want LEED,’” Skodowski said, “and that’s it.”
Nine of Transwestern’s properties received certification this year. A combination of energy efficient light bulbs and other green equipment helped those buildings slash energy consumption. On average, they’ve seen a 2 percent drop in energy costs, even as electricity rates jumped between 10 percent and 40 percent, Skodowski said.
Leasing rates have not risen as a result of the changes, Skodowski said, yet at the same time occupancy rates have not fallen. That’s a victory for an industry hit hard by the recession. Vacancy rates at office buildings nationwide have gone from 10.9 percent at the end of 2007 to 12.4 percent in the first quarter of this year.
“If one extra tenant comes and looks at the building, if the owner gets an extra penny or so a foot, then at the end of the day it’s paying for itself,” Skodowski said.
A recent analysis by real estate researcher CoStar Group, Inc. found that green-certified buildings had fewer vacancies than other buildings with similar age, size and location.
The CoStar study, which included about 3,000 green-certified offices, found that buildings with the council’s certification enjoyed higher occupancy rates (90.3 percent) than their peers (84.7 percent) in the first three months of 2009.
Certified buildings have fetched higher lease rates for several years. The CoStar report said the buildings rented at an average of 38.86 per square foot in the first quarter of 2009 compared with 29.80 per square foot for their peers.
“This isn’t just a ‘We are doing the right thing’ movement,” said Marc Heisterkamp, U.S. Green Building Council’s director of commercial real estate. “In the end, the numbers pencil out.”
At the Empire State Building, Malkin proposed a top-to-bottom renovation that included a 13.2 million investment in new green technologies. The goal was to sufficiently reduce greenhouse gases without spending more than he could justify to his investors.
What the owners settled on was a series of upgrades that include retrofitting all 6,500 windows. Under every window, radiators will be padded with extra insulation. The building’s lighting, cold water and ventilation systems also will be upgraded.
The renovation should take 18 months. Afterward, the owners expect an annual energy savings of 4.4 million, enough to pay off the new technologies in about three years.
Already, the renovation has lured upscale, energy-conscious companies like Swedish construction firm Skanska, said Ray Quartararo with Jones Lang Lasalle, which is managing the renovation.
Skanska wanted its U.S. headquarters to have a LEED “platinum” certification — reserved for only the most efficient of buildings — and it found a willing partner in the Empire State Building. Skanska officials said the building’s management helped them install bike racks and add other energy-saving details on the 32nd floor.
“We had looked at several downtown spaces, but the Empire State Building made the most sense,” a company spokeswoman said.
Jacques Catafago, an attorney who works 16 floors above Skanska’s new office, is also happy with the changes. Catafago has fought the building management before on other fees, but he said he wouldn’t mind paying more rent if it goes toward renovations that cut his electric bill.
Besides, Catafago said, he’s already checked out the rent for similar buildings in the city and realizes he has a pretty good deal at the Empire State Building.
“We’d be paying twice as much” uptown, he said.

Europes Free State-run Health Care Has Drawbacks

LONDON – As President Barack Obama pushes to overhaul the American health care system, the role of government is at the heart of the debate. In Europe, free, state-run health care is a given.
The concept has been enshrined in Europe for generations. Health systems are built so inclusive that even illegal immigrants are entitled to free treatment beyond just emergency care. Europeans have some of the world’s best hospitals and have made great strides in fighting problems like obesity and heart disease.
But the system is far from perfect.
In Britain, France, Switzerland and elsewhere, public health systems have become political punching bags for opposition parties, costs have skyrocketed and in some cases, patients have needlessly suffered and died.
Obama has pointedly said he does not want to bring European-style health care to the U.S. and that he intends to introduce a government-run plan to compete with private insurance, not replace it.
Critics fear Obama’s reforms will lead to more government control over health care and cite problems faced by European health systems as examples of what not to do.
Other experts say Americans could learn from countries like Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, especially in the debate on how to reorganize health insurance.
“These countries are in some way an inspiration for our reforms,” said Uwe Reinhardt, a health economist at Princeton University. “All of these countries somehow manage to assess risk and compensate for it … we could learn from that.”
Many European health officials applaud Obama’s attempt to provide health care to millions more Americans, but they also advise him to proceed with caution.
“What we can be proud of in Europe is the ground rules, that everyone has the right to health care,” said Jose Martin-Moreno, a health expert at the University of Valencia in Spain. “But the implementation has been difficult and one size does not fit all.”
Private health care is also available in Europe, creating in some instances a two-tier system that critics say defeats the egalitarian impulse on which national systems were built.
When Britain’s National Health System was founded 61 years ago, it pledged that with few exceptions, patients would not be charged for anything.
All prescription drugs are covered, and the government regularly sets health targets, like maximum waiting times in emergency rooms or for having an operation.
Critics say the policies are often driven more by politics than science. Last week, Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised that patients unable to see cancer experts within two weeks would get cash to pay for private care. Brown had previously argued against paying for private providers and some say the reversal may be a gimmick to boost his sagging popularity.
More serious problems in Britain’s health care were reported last month, when cancer researchers announced that as many as 15,000 people over age 75 were dying prematurely from cancer every year. Experts said those deaths could have been avoided if those patients had been diagnosed and treated earlier.
“There is nothing inherently different about cancer in the U.S. and Britain to explain why more people are dying here,” said Dr. Karol Sikora, of Cancer Partners UK.
The U.S. already spends the most worldwide on health care. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the U.S. spent 7,290 per person in 2007, while Britain spent 2,992 and France spent 3,601.
Still, experts say that before committing the U.S. to footing the bill for universal health care, Obama should consider it has cost Europe.
A World Health Organization survey in 2000 found that France had the world’s best health system. But that has come at a high price; health budgets have been in the red since 1988.
In 1996, France introduced targets for health insurance spending. But a decade later, the deficit had doubled to 49 billion euros (69 billion).
“I would warn Americans that once the government gets its nose into health care, it’s hard to stop the dangerous effects later,” said Valentin Petkantchin, of the Institut Economique Molinari in France. He said many private providers have been pushed out, forcing a dependence on an overstretched public system.
Similar scenarios have been unfolding in the Netherlands and Switzerland, where everyone must buy health insurance.
“The minute you make health insurance mandatory, people start overusing it,” said Dr. Alphonse Crespo, an orthopedic surgeon and research director at Switzerland’s Institut Constant de Rebecque. “If I have a cold, I might go see a doctor because I am already paying a health insurance premium.”
Cost-cutting has also hit Switzerland. The numbers of beds have dropped, hospitals have merged, and specialist care has become harder to find. A 2007 survey found that in some hospitals in Geneva and Lausanne, the rates of medical mistakes had jumped by up to 40 percent. Long ranked among the world’s top four health systems, Switzerland dropped to 8th place in a Europe-wide survey last year.
Government influence in health care may also stifle innovation, other experts warn. Bureaucracies are slow to adopt new medical technologies. In Britain and Germany, even after new drugs are approved, access to them is complicated because independent agencies must decide if they are worth buying.
When the breast cancer drug Herceptin was proven to be effective in 1998, it was available almost immediately in the U.S. But it took another four years for the U.K. to start buying it for British breast cancer patients.
“Government control of health care is not a panacea,” said Philip Stevens, of International Policy Network, a London think-tank. “The U.S. health system is a bit of a mess, but based on what’s happened in some countries in Europe, I’d be nervous about recommending more government involvement.”
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Associated Press Writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report from Washington.

Report Ahmadinejad Says He Wants Public Talks With Obama

TEHRAN, IranIranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he wants to engage President Obama in “negotiations” before international media, a semi-official Iranian news outlet reported on Saturday.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election last month sparked global protests and unrest in Iran.
Speaking at a meeting of medical school deans, Ahmadinejad said Iran “will soon pursue a new round of diplomatic activity” amid a new position of strength for the Iranian government, the Iranian Student News Agency quotes him as saying. “I will go to the United Nations and will invite Obama to negotiations,” Ahmadinejad said, adding that such talks would be “in front of the international media, not a sit-down behind closed doors in order to talk about matters.” The Obama administration has sought dialogue with Iran but also criticized the government for its handling of unrest after disputed presidential elections. Last week, Obama said Iran’s government must justify itself not in the eyes of the United States, but in the opinion of its own people. “A sizable percentage of the Iranian people themselves … consider this election illegitimate,” he said at a White House news conference. “It is not too late for the Iranian government to recognize that there is a peaceful path that will lead to stability and prosperity.” Initially, Obama was criticized by Republicans such as Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina for taking a “timid and passive” tone in speaking out against the growing wave of arrests, violence and deaths of pro-democracy activists. Ahmadinejad said he wants others to stop “meddling” in the internal affairs of Iran.
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Iranian officials, including Ahmadinejad, claimed nations such as the United States and Britain have meddled in Iranian affairs. Last week, Ahmadinejad said officials were “astonished” over what they called meddling and warned of repercussions if meddling continues. “Didn’t he [Obama] say that he was after change?” Ahmadinejad asked Iranian judiciary officials in a speech last week. “Why did he interfere? Why did he utter remarks irrespective of norms and decorum?” “They keep saying that they want to hold talks with Iran,” Ahmadinejad said. “All right, we have expressed our readiness as well. But is this the correct way [for holding talks]?” Meanwhile, two major political figures have been meeting family members of those detained amid post-election unrest. One was former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjanichief of the Expediency Council and supporter of opposition leader Mir Hussein Moussavi, according to the semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency. The other was Mehdi Karrubi, one of the opposition candidates, who reportedly paid visits to families of political detainees, according to the Etemad-e-Melli, Karrubi’s newspaper. Meanwhile, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported that 20 people between the ages of 35 to 48 were executed in Iran on Saturday for “buying, selling and holding heroin, cocaine and opium.”
Source:CNN

Serial Killer Claims Fifth Victim In South Carolina

A 15-year-old South Carolina girl who was shot earlier this week by a man authorities say fits the description of a serial killer has died, police said Saturday.
Police say the suspect may be driving a light-gray or champagne tan 1991-1994 two-door Ford Explorer.
Abby Tyler died at 11:25 a.m. Saturday at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, Chief Rick Turner of the Gaffney Police Department told reporters. The Her father, Stephen Tyler, 48, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting Thursday in the family-run furniture and appliance store, Tyler Home Center, in Gaffney. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office on Friday released a second sketch of a man believed to have fatally shot five people in less than a week. “Let me say that under the FBI’s definition of a serial killer, yes, we have a serial killer,” Sheriff Bill Blanton told reporters in Gaffney, a town in the county of about 54,000 residents some 50 miles southwest of Charlotte. He would not detail what has led investigators to conclude the shootings are linked or how they received the description of the suspect that has led to the two sketches. In addition, he said he did not know whether the shooter knew his victims or whether he may have chosen them at random. Watch locals gather to pray for victims and killer » Police said he may be driving a light-gray or champagne tan 1991-1994 two-door Ford Explorer. The first shooting happened Saturday, when peach farmer Kline W. Cash, 63, was found dead by his wife in their home, said Leigh Caldwell, a victims services coordinator for the sheriff’s office. Blanton said Cash’s home may have been robbed. On Wednesday, the bound and shot bodies of 83-year-old Hazel Linder and her 50-year-old daughter, Gena Linder Parker, were found in the mother’s home, where she lived alone. “We’re still trying to determine if anything’s missing from there,” Blanton said. Leave has been canceled for all members of the Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department, said their respective chiefs, who urged residents to take precautions. About 100 investigators from North and South Carolina were working the case, Blanton said. “I think our community has a right to be concerned,” he said. “We’re concerned. We’re dealing with a man that’s killed four people.”
He urged residents to check on relatives, especially those who live alone. “We’re asking the people in our community to be vigilant, to report anything.” But he cautioned against taking that too far. “Our concern is that people are going to start shooting at shadows,” he said.
Source:CNN