Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Monday proposed a set of sweeping changes to the nation's financial system, including a broad expansion of the Federal Reserve's powers, in what could herald the biggest regulatory overhaul of Wall Street since the Great Depression.
The plan comes as concerns about the housing crisis and its fallout in the financial system continues to fuel calls for change in Washington. The changes, if enacted, would be largely invisible to consumers but would drastically alter how the financial services industry is regulated.
"Government has a responsibility to make sure our financial system is regulated effectively," Paulson said. "And in this area, we can do a better job."
Among the plan's biggest proposals is to provide additional powers to the Federal Reserve, which, along with the Treasury Department, has attempted to shepherd the nation through the housing crisis. Earlier this month, the Fed orchestrated a marriage between JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) and Bear Stearns (BSC, Fortune 500), which was on the verge of a collapse that could have caused shockwaves throughout the financial system.
Under the Paulson plan, the Fed would essentially serve as a financial markets moderator, stepping in if the nation's markets were again threatened by an episode like the near collapse of Bear Stearns. Currently the central bank is responsible for setting the country's monetary policy as well as acting as a supervisor of certain banks and all bank holding companies.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Obama: Had Wright not retired, I'd have left church
Sen. Barack Obama says in an interview scheduled to air on TV Friday that he would have left his church if his pastor had not retired and had not acknowledged making comments that "deeply offended people."
Obama talked about the dispute as it continued to brew over some of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons and comments, which many viewed as anti-American and racist toward whites.
Bulletins from Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ in 2007 include comments -- reprinted from other sources -- that maintain South Africa and Israel worked on "an ethnic bomb that kills blacks and Arabs." They also quote a historian who said that "what the Zionist Jews did to the Palestinians is worse than what the Nazis did to the Jews."
The articles appeared in a church bulletin section called the "Pastor's Page," and include one that originally ran in The Los Angeles Times. That article was written by a senior official with Hamas, which the U.S. government considers a terrorist organization.
Obama talked about the dispute as it continued to brew over some of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons and comments, which many viewed as anti-American and racist toward whites.
Bulletins from Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ in 2007 include comments -- reprinted from other sources -- that maintain South Africa and Israel worked on "an ethnic bomb that kills blacks and Arabs." They also quote a historian who said that "what the Zionist Jews did to the Palestinians is worse than what the Nazis did to the Jews."
The articles appeared in a church bulletin section called the "Pastor's Page," and include one that originally ran in The Los Angeles Times. That article was written by a senior official with Hamas, which the U.S. government considers a terrorist organization.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
T.I. expected to plead guilty to weapons charges
Rapper T.I. was expected to plead guilty Thursday to federal weapons charges and will face prison time, according to two The 27-year-old singer, whose real name is Clifford Harris, was expected to be sentenced to 1,500 hours of community service talking to youth groups around the country, followed by about 12 months in prison, according to two people familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plea deal had not been finalized yet Thursday morning.
His prison time could be increased or reduced, depending on his fulfillment of the terms of the deal and good behavior, they said. His talks to youth groups are supposed to be about the pitfalls of guns, gangs and drugs.
The U.S. Attorney in Atlanta announced a change-of-plea hearing was scheduled Thursday afternoon at the federal courthouse. Prosecution officials were expected to speak to the media after the hearing.
U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. must approve the deal.
Harris was arrested October 13, just blocks away and hours before he was to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.
He was charged with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, as well as possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.
Harris was allegedly trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers. He initially pleaded not guilty, and has been under house arrest since he was released on $3 million bond October 26.
He is co-CEO of Grand Hustle Records and one of Atlantic Records' most successful artists.
Harris grew up in Atlanta. His first taste of success came with his 2003 album, "Trap Muzik." In 2004, warrants were issued for his arrest on probation violations for a drug conviction, and he was sentenced to three years behind bars.
His sixth album, "T.I. vs. T.I.P.," was released July 3 and debuted at No. 1.
He co-starred in the 2007 film "American Gangster" with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. people familiar with his case.
His prison time could be increased or reduced, depending on his fulfillment of the terms of the deal and good behavior, they said. His talks to youth groups are supposed to be about the pitfalls of guns, gangs and drugs.
The U.S. Attorney in Atlanta announced a change-of-plea hearing was scheduled Thursday afternoon at the federal courthouse. Prosecution officials were expected to speak to the media after the hearing.
U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. must approve the deal.
Harris was arrested October 13, just blocks away and hours before he was to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.
He was charged with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, as well as possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.
Harris was allegedly trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers. He initially pleaded not guilty, and has been under house arrest since he was released on $3 million bond October 26.
He is co-CEO of Grand Hustle Records and one of Atlantic Records' most successful artists.
Harris grew up in Atlanta. His first taste of success came with his 2003 album, "Trap Muzik." In 2004, warrants were issued for his arrest on probation violations for a drug conviction, and he was sentenced to three years behind bars.
His sixth album, "T.I. vs. T.I.P.," was released July 3 and debuted at No. 1.
He co-starred in the 2007 film "American Gangster" with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. people familiar with his case.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Ultimatum in Iraq 'outlaw' showdown
Fighting across Iraq's Shiite heartland erupted for a second day on Wednesday, with troops continuing a major operation against "outlaws" in the key oil city of Basra, conducting forays against militants in flashpoint Baghdad neighborhoods, and clamping down on violence in key provincial capitals.
Iraq's prime minister Wednesday gave Shiite militants battling security forces in Basra a 72-hour deadline to surrender their weapons as the fighting threatened to unravel a delicate cease-fire.
Officials say between 40 and 50 people have died in the southern city of Basra and at least 22 have been killed in Baghdad in fighting that has its roots in intra-Shiite rivalries and Shiite turf wars in southern Iraq and Baghdad.
A few hundred people have been wounded in the fighting, and the International Committee of the Red Cross has announced that it is providing supplies to hospitals in Basra and Baghdad's Sadr City to help treat them.
Fighting also broke out in Diwaniya and Kut, predominantly Shiite provincial capitals south of Baghdad, but there have been no reported casualties in those locations.
Iraqi authorities -- who called Wednesday's violence "sporadic" -- said the fighting is occurring in bastions of support for Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadrand his Mehdi Army militia. And, they say, Iraqi and U.S. forces have squared off with fighters who support the hard-line, anti-American cleric.
The U.S. military emphasizes that troops are taking on "outlaws" or "rogue" militia members and are not targeting members affiliated with al-Sadr.
"This is about criminal activity," said Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad. "It's about those that are not respecting the rule of law."
Iraq's prime minister Wednesday gave Shiite militants battling security forces in Basra a 72-hour deadline to surrender their weapons as the fighting threatened to unravel a delicate cease-fire.
Officials say between 40 and 50 people have died in the southern city of Basra and at least 22 have been killed in Baghdad in fighting that has its roots in intra-Shiite rivalries and Shiite turf wars in southern Iraq and Baghdad.
A few hundred people have been wounded in the fighting, and the International Committee of the Red Cross has announced that it is providing supplies to hospitals in Basra and Baghdad's Sadr City to help treat them.
Fighting also broke out in Diwaniya and Kut, predominantly Shiite provincial capitals south of Baghdad, but there have been no reported casualties in those locations.
Iraqi authorities -- who called Wednesday's violence "sporadic" -- said the fighting is occurring in bastions of support for Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadrand his Mehdi Army militia. And, they say, Iraqi and U.S. forces have squared off with fighters who support the hard-line, anti-American cleric.
The U.S. military emphasizes that troops are taking on "outlaws" or "rogue" militia members and are not targeting members affiliated with al-Sadr.
"This is about criminal activity," said Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad. "It's about those that are not respecting the rule of law."
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Clinton says she 'misspoke' about sniper fire
Sen. Hillary Clinton said she "misspoke" last week when she gave a dramatic description of her arrival in Bosnia 12 years ago, recounting a landing under sniper fire.
Clinton was responding to a question Monday from the Philadelphia Daily News' editorial board about video footage of the event that contradicted her assertion that her group "ran with our heads down" from the plane to avoid sniper fire at the Tuzla Air Base.
Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for rival Sen. Barack Obama's campaign, said the Bosnia claim was part of "a growing list of instances in which Sen. Clinton has exaggerated her role in foreign and domestic policymaking."
Clinton told the paper's editorial board it was a "minor blip."
Clinton was responding to a question Monday from the Philadelphia Daily News' editorial board about video footage of the event that contradicted her assertion that her group "ran with our heads down" from the plane to avoid sniper fire at the Tuzla Air Base.
Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for rival Sen. Barack Obama's campaign, said the Bosnia claim was part of "a growing list of instances in which Sen. Clinton has exaggerated her role in foreign and domestic policymaking."
Clinton told the paper's editorial board it was a "minor blip."
Monday, March 24, 2008
Detroit mayor faces felony charges
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and an ex-aide were charged Monday with perjury and obstruction of justice after prosecutors said sexually explicit text messages between the two contradicted their sworn court testimony.
Kilpatrick defiantly declared his innocence just an hour after the charges were announced.
"This has been a very flawed process from the beginning," said Kilpatrick at a press conference Monday. "I look forward to complete exoneration."
Kilpatrick, who is married, has been snarled in a well-publicized sex scandal since January after The Detroit Free Press reported he exchanged romantic text messages with his then-chief of staff, Christine Beatty.
The paper reported in January that in an analysis of nearly 14,000 text messages on Beatty's city-issued pager, it found some from 2002 and 2003 that indicated the two were having a romantic affair.
The newspaper report contradicted testimony Kilpatrick gave last August in a court case brought by police officers against the mayor and the city of Detroit alleging the mayor retaliated against the officers for their role in investigating his office. Critics alleged that Kilpatrick committed perjury in the case and called for his resignation.
In testimony during that case, Kilpatrick and Beatty both denied having a romantic relationship. Beatty resigned as Kilpatrick's chief of staff on January 28.
Kilpatrick defiantly declared his innocence just an hour after the charges were announced.
"This has been a very flawed process from the beginning," said Kilpatrick at a press conference Monday. "I look forward to complete exoneration."
Kilpatrick, who is married, has been snarled in a well-publicized sex scandal since January after The Detroit Free Press reported he exchanged romantic text messages with his then-chief of staff, Christine Beatty.
The paper reported in January that in an analysis of nearly 14,000 text messages on Beatty's city-issued pager, it found some from 2002 and 2003 that indicated the two were having a romantic affair.
The newspaper report contradicted testimony Kilpatrick gave last August in a court case brought by police officers against the mayor and the city of Detroit alleging the mayor retaliated against the officers for their role in investigating his office. Critics alleged that Kilpatrick committed perjury in the case and called for his resignation.
In testimony during that case, Kilpatrick and Beatty both denied having a romantic relationship. Beatty resigned as Kilpatrick's chief of staff on January 28.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Someone snooped in Obama's passport file
On three occasions since January, Sen. Barack Obama's passport file was looked at by three different contract workers, said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
The contractors accessed information in the file in an unauthorized way, he said.
Two contractors were fired and one was disciplined by the contractor's company, McCormack said.
He said the contractors are not linked.
The State Department hires contractors to design, build and maintain their systems and help employees with searches. McCormack said two of the contractors in the Obama case were "low-level" personnel and the other was in a mid-level position with no management role.
The breach seems like "imprudent curiosity" among the contract workers, said McCormack, adding that senior management at the State Department was not aware of the incidents until Thursday afternoon. Breaches occurred January 9, February 21 and March 14.
A State Department source said passport files contain scanned images of passport applications, birth date and basic biographical information, records of passport renewal, and possibly citizenship information.
Obama's campaign is asking for a complete investigation to find out who looked at Obama's passport file and why.
"This is an outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton in a statement.
"Our government's duty is to protect the private information of the American people, not use it for political purposes."
Doug Hattaway, a spokesman for Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama's rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, said, "If it's true, it's reprehensible, and the Bush administration has a responsibility to get to the bottom of it."
The White House declined comment Thursday evening, just hours after the State Department upper management learned of the breach.
State Department officials say Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was told Thursday what happened and that she told her staff she wanted a full investigation.
The department would not speculate whether the information had been shared with anyone else.
The contractors accessed information in the file in an unauthorized way, he said.
Two contractors were fired and one was disciplined by the contractor's company, McCormack said.
He said the contractors are not linked.
The State Department hires contractors to design, build and maintain their systems and help employees with searches. McCormack said two of the contractors in the Obama case were "low-level" personnel and the other was in a mid-level position with no management role.
The breach seems like "imprudent curiosity" among the contract workers, said McCormack, adding that senior management at the State Department was not aware of the incidents until Thursday afternoon. Breaches occurred January 9, February 21 and March 14.
A State Department source said passport files contain scanned images of passport applications, birth date and basic biographical information, records of passport renewal, and possibly citizenship information.
Obama's campaign is asking for a complete investigation to find out who looked at Obama's passport file and why.
"This is an outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton in a statement.
"Our government's duty is to protect the private information of the American people, not use it for political purposes."
Doug Hattaway, a spokesman for Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama's rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, said, "If it's true, it's reprehensible, and the Bush administration has a responsibility to get to the bottom of it."
The White House declined comment Thursday evening, just hours after the State Department upper management learned of the breach.
State Department officials say Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was told Thursday what happened and that she told her staff she wanted a full investigation.
The department would not speculate whether the information had been shared with anyone else.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Midwest eyes rising floodwaters as skies clear
Residents warily watched as rivers continued to rise Thursday from heavy storms that dumped as much as a foot of rain in the Midwest and left behind more than a dozen deaths.
While the first day of spring brought much needed sunshine Thursday to Ohio and other states, authorities warned that many rivers would crest well above flood stage.
Flooding also was reported Wednesday in parts of Arkansas, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky.
The storms moved on toward the Ohio Valley and Northeast, spreading snow over northern New England. A parallel band of heavy rain stretched from Alabama and Georgia to the Mid-Atlantic.
On Thursday morning, high water closed the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 a major east-west highway for about 4 miles in central Ohio's Licking County, the State Highway Patrol said.
Morning commuters trying to reach downtown Columbus from the south were being detoured off heavily-traveled U.S. 23, because its northbound lanes were flooded at Interstate 270.
Cincinnati picked up 4.7 inches of rain and then traces of snow on Wednesday,
The area recovered quickly from two days of heavy rain, said Mike Mantel, director of the Service Department in Miami Township, east of Cincinnati. One township road closed Wednesday because of high water was reopened Thursday, and streams were receding, he said.
"We're in really good shape, considering the rainfall we had," Mantel said.
Days of rain turned the Midwest into a soggy mess, flooding roads, stranding motorists and displacing residents with a cleanup bill likely to run in the millions.
While the first day of spring brought much needed sunshine Thursday to Ohio and other states, authorities warned that many rivers would crest well above flood stage.
Flooding also was reported Wednesday in parts of Arkansas, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky.
The storms moved on toward the Ohio Valley and Northeast, spreading snow over northern New England. A parallel band of heavy rain stretched from Alabama and Georgia to the Mid-Atlantic.
On Thursday morning, high water closed the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 a major east-west highway for about 4 miles in central Ohio's Licking County, the State Highway Patrol said.
Morning commuters trying to reach downtown Columbus from the south were being detoured off heavily-traveled U.S. 23, because its northbound lanes were flooded at Interstate 270.
Cincinnati picked up 4.7 inches of rain and then traces of snow on Wednesday,
The area recovered quickly from two days of heavy rain, said Mike Mantel, director of the Service Department in Miami Township, east of Cincinnati. One township road closed Wednesday because of high water was reopened Thursday, and streams were receding, he said.
"We're in really good shape, considering the rainfall we had," Mantel said.
Days of rain turned the Midwest into a soggy mess, flooding roads, stranding motorists and displacing residents with a cleanup bill likely to run in the millions.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Tornado Caused Downtown Atlanta Hotel To Shift
It felt like the earth moved Friday night for hundreds of guests at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel. The tornado that left rubble scattered across downtown Atlanta and other neighborhoods was so powerful it caused the hotel, one of the world's tallest, to shift.
"It's designed to move a couple of feet and I think it did, so we're having structural engineers look at the hotel," Ed Walls, general manager of the hotel told WSB-TV Channel 2 reporter Jodie Fleischer.
About 175 windows shattered and will be covered with plywood until the glass can be repaired. The plywood will be painted black so it blends in with the hotel. Glass in the huge atrium that hovers over the lobby cracked and will have to be replaced. So will at least 100 panes in the panels that enclose the elevators clinging to the outside of the hotel and give guests a stomach-dropping ride.
The front desk started getting calls from guests while the tornado was still swirling through downtown. Staffers moved the guests to lower levels.
"We brought them all down to level 6 and 7 in the ballroom areas which were safest at the time," said Walls.
Winds at the upper level of the hotel were so strong on Tuesday, workers making repairs inside the building were wearing safety harnesses so they wouldn't be sucked out the broken windows.
"Overall we fared very well, no injuries and certainly no fatalities; so we're real blessed," said Walls. "It was a pretty good night from that perspective."
"It's designed to move a couple of feet and I think it did, so we're having structural engineers look at the hotel," Ed Walls, general manager of the hotel told WSB-TV Channel 2 reporter Jodie Fleischer.
About 175 windows shattered and will be covered with plywood until the glass can be repaired. The plywood will be painted black so it blends in with the hotel. Glass in the huge atrium that hovers over the lobby cracked and will have to be replaced. So will at least 100 panes in the panels that enclose the elevators clinging to the outside of the hotel and give guests a stomach-dropping ride.
The front desk started getting calls from guests while the tornado was still swirling through downtown. Staffers moved the guests to lower levels.
"We brought them all down to level 6 and 7 in the ballroom areas which were safest at the time," said Walls.
Winds at the upper level of the hotel were so strong on Tuesday, workers making repairs inside the building were wearing safety harnesses so they wouldn't be sucked out the broken windows.
"Overall we fared very well, no injuries and certainly no fatalities; so we're real blessed," said Walls. "It was a pretty good night from that perspective."
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Obama urges Americans to help heal racial divide
Sen. Barack Obama in a speech Tuesday addressed the controversy surrounding his former minister, using it as an opportunity to challenge Americans to take a closer look at race relations.
Speaking at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center, the Democratic presidential candidate said he rejected racially charged comments made by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, but he tried to explain the root of those remarks.
Wright recently retired as pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where the senator from Illinois worships.
Some of Wright's old sermons came under fire after a news report last week turned some of his most controversial comments into a YouTube phenomenon.
In one, the minister said America had brought the September 11 attacks upon itself. In another, he said Sen. Hillary Clinton had an advantage over Obama because she is white.
Speaking before a relatively small, diverse crowd, Obama emphasized his upbringing as "the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas."
Speaking at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center, the Democratic presidential candidate said he rejected racially charged comments made by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, but he tried to explain the root of those remarks.
Wright recently retired as pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where the senator from Illinois worships.
Some of Wright's old sermons came under fire after a news report last week turned some of his most controversial comments into a YouTube phenomenon.
In one, the minister said America had brought the September 11 attacks upon itself. In another, he said Sen. Hillary Clinton had an advantage over Obama because she is white.
Speaking before a relatively small, diverse crowd, Obama emphasized his upbringing as "the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas."
Monday, March 17, 2008
McCartney's ex-wife awarded $48.7M
Former Beatle Paul McCartney was Monday ordered to pay nearly $50M to his estranged wife as their long-running divorce saga came to an end.
Heather Mills told reporters she was "so, so happy" with the outcome of her fight for a share of the pop legend's fortune, as court documents named the final figure as £24.3 million ($48.7M).
Mills had demanded almost $250 million of McCartney's estimated $1.6 billion. The ex-Beatle said she should receive $31.7 million.
Judge Hugh Bennett said that the total value of all of McCartney's assets was actually $800 million, a figure disputed by Mills.
The couple's four-year-old daughter is also to receive about $70,000 per annum, the court ruled. McCartney must also pay for the child's nanny and school fees.
Mills insisted the couple's split in 2006 was not acrimonious regardless of newspaper reports of an acrimonious breakup.
Heather Mills told reporters she was "so, so happy" with the outcome of her fight for a share of the pop legend's fortune, as court documents named the final figure as £24.3 million ($48.7M).
Mills had demanded almost $250 million of McCartney's estimated $1.6 billion. The ex-Beatle said she should receive $31.7 million.
Judge Hugh Bennett said that the total value of all of McCartney's assets was actually $800 million, a figure disputed by Mills.
The couple's four-year-old daughter is also to receive about $70,000 per annum, the court ruled. McCartney must also pay for the child's nanny and school fees.
Mills insisted the couple's split in 2006 was not acrimonious regardless of newspaper reports of an acrimonious breakup.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Gas prices sustain record run
The nationwide average price of gasoline set another record Friday, according to the closely watched survey conducted for the motorist group AAA.
The average price of regular rose overnight to $3.28 a gallon, according to AAA's Web site. That's more than a cent higher than Thursday's record and was the fourth all-time high hit in as many days.
Regular was $2.972 on average at this time last month and $2.549 a year ago.
Drivers in states in the western part of the country shelled out the most at the pump, led by California's average of $3.62 for a gallon of gas. Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii all had to pay over $3.40 a gallon.
New Jersey still led the nation with the cheapest gasoline, with drivers paying $3.04 a gallon on average. Wyoming and Missouri residents also pay less than $3.10 a gallon.
But when adjusted for inflation, gas prices are still below their peak. The record on that basis was $3.405 and set in March 1981, according to the Energy Information Administration.
The fuel price survey was conducted for AAA by Oil Price Information Service.
The average price of regular rose overnight to $3.28 a gallon, according to AAA's Web site. That's more than a cent higher than Thursday's record and was the fourth all-time high hit in as many days.
Regular was $2.972 on average at this time last month and $2.549 a year ago.
Drivers in states in the western part of the country shelled out the most at the pump, led by California's average of $3.62 for a gallon of gas. Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii all had to pay over $3.40 a gallon.
New Jersey still led the nation with the cheapest gasoline, with drivers paying $3.04 a gallon on average. Wyoming and Missouri residents also pay less than $3.10 a gallon.
But when adjusted for inflation, gas prices are still below their peak. The record on that basis was $3.405 and set in March 1981, according to the Energy Information Administration.
The fuel price survey was conducted for AAA by Oil Price Information Service.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Phobia caused woman's 2-year bathroom stay
A 35-year-old woman who sat on her boyfriend's toilet for so long that her body was stuck to the seat had a phobia about leaving the bathroom, the boyfriend said.
"She is an adult; she made her own decision," said her boyfriend, Kory McFarren. "I should have gotten help for her sooner; I admit that. But after a while, you kind of get used to it."
The case drew nationwide attention after Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple said it appeared the Ness City woman's skin had grown around the seat in the two years she apparently was in the bathroom.
"We pried the toilet seat off with a pry bar and the seat went with her to the hospital," Whipple said. "The hospital removed it."
McFarren, 36, said he can't be certain how long Pam Babcock stayed in the bathroom because "time just went by so quick I can't pinpoint how long." He said beatings she received in her childhood caused her phobia.
"It just kind of happened one day; she went in and had been in there a little while, the next time it was a little longer. Then she got it in her head she was going to stay -- like it was a safe place for her," McFarren said.
But McFarren said she moved around in the bathroom during that time, bathed and changed into the clothes he brought her. He brought food and water to her. They had conversations and had an otherwise normal relationship -- except it all happened in the bathroom.
McFarren said he finally called police February 27 after he became worried because Babcock was acting groggy -- like she didn't know what was going on, except she was awake.
What emergency responders found when they went into bathroom has left residents of this small western Kansas town buzzing, and law enforcement officials incredulous.
Police found the clothed woman sitting on the toilet, her sweat pants down to mid-thigh. She was "somewhat disoriented," and her legs looked like they had atrophied, Whipple said.
"She was not glued. She was not tied. She was just physically stuck by her body," Whipple said. "It is hard to imagine. ... I still have a hard time imagining it myself."
She initially refused emergency medical services, but was finally convinced by responders and her boyfriend that she needed to be checked out at a hospital.
"She said that she didn't need any help, that she was OK and did not want to leave," he said.
Whipple said the county attorney will determine whether any charges should be filed against McFarren.
McFarren, who works at an antique store, said he has been taking care of Babcock for the 16 years they have lived together. He insisted that he tried to coax her out of the bathroom every day.
"And her reply would be, `Maybe tomorrow,"' Whipple said. "According to him, she did not want to leave the bathroom."
She was reported in fair condition Wednesday at a hospital in Wichita, about 150 miles southeast of Ness City. Whipple said she has refused to cooperate with medical providers or law enforcement investigators.
Babcock has an infection in her legs that has damaged her nerves, and there is a possibility she may wind up in a wheelchair, McFarren said.
James Ellis, a neighbor, said he had known the woman since she was a child, but that he had not seen her for at least six years.
"I don't think anybody can make any sense out of it," Ellis said.
Babcock had a tough childhood after her mother died at a young age and apparently was usually kept inside the house as she grew up, he said.
"It really doesn't surprise me," Ellis said. "What surprises me is somebody wasn't called in a bit earlier."
"She is an adult; she made her own decision," said her boyfriend, Kory McFarren. "I should have gotten help for her sooner; I admit that. But after a while, you kind of get used to it."
The case drew nationwide attention after Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple said it appeared the Ness City woman's skin had grown around the seat in the two years she apparently was in the bathroom.
"We pried the toilet seat off with a pry bar and the seat went with her to the hospital," Whipple said. "The hospital removed it."
McFarren, 36, said he can't be certain how long Pam Babcock stayed in the bathroom because "time just went by so quick I can't pinpoint how long." He said beatings she received in her childhood caused her phobia.
"It just kind of happened one day; she went in and had been in there a little while, the next time it was a little longer. Then she got it in her head she was going to stay -- like it was a safe place for her," McFarren said.
But McFarren said she moved around in the bathroom during that time, bathed and changed into the clothes he brought her. He brought food and water to her. They had conversations and had an otherwise normal relationship -- except it all happened in the bathroom.
McFarren said he finally called police February 27 after he became worried because Babcock was acting groggy -- like she didn't know what was going on, except she was awake.
What emergency responders found when they went into bathroom has left residents of this small western Kansas town buzzing, and law enforcement officials incredulous.
Police found the clothed woman sitting on the toilet, her sweat pants down to mid-thigh. She was "somewhat disoriented," and her legs looked like they had atrophied, Whipple said.
"She was not glued. She was not tied. She was just physically stuck by her body," Whipple said. "It is hard to imagine. ... I still have a hard time imagining it myself."
She initially refused emergency medical services, but was finally convinced by responders and her boyfriend that she needed to be checked out at a hospital.
"She said that she didn't need any help, that she was OK and did not want to leave," he said.
Whipple said the county attorney will determine whether any charges should be filed against McFarren.
McFarren, who works at an antique store, said he has been taking care of Babcock for the 16 years they have lived together. He insisted that he tried to coax her out of the bathroom every day.
"And her reply would be, `Maybe tomorrow,"' Whipple said. "According to him, she did not want to leave the bathroom."
She was reported in fair condition Wednesday at a hospital in Wichita, about 150 miles southeast of Ness City. Whipple said she has refused to cooperate with medical providers or law enforcement investigators.
Babcock has an infection in her legs that has damaged her nerves, and there is a possibility she may wind up in a wheelchair, McFarren said.
James Ellis, a neighbor, said he had known the woman since she was a child, but that he had not seen her for at least six years.
"I don't think anybody can make any sense out of it," Ellis said.
Babcock had a tough childhood after her mother died at a young age and apparently was usually kept inside the house as she grew up, he said.
"It really doesn't surprise me," Ellis said. "What surprises me is somebody wasn't called in a bit earlier."
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
My comment wasn't racist, it was a fact
An unapologetic Geraldine Ferraro said Wednesday morning that her comments about the electoral impact of Barack Obama's race have been taken out of context, and that she stands by her words.
Ferraro stirred controversy with her recent remarks that Obama's campaign was successful because he was black.
"It wasn't a racist comment, it was a statement of fact," she said on CBS' Early Show, adding that she would leave Hillary Clinton's national finance committee if she were asked, but would not stop raising money for the New York senator's presidential bid. She also blamed Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, for misinterpreting her remarks.
Ferraro also told ABC's Good Morning America that "every time" someone makes a negative comment about Obama, they are accused of racism.
Late Tuesday, she told interviewer that she felt she was being attacked because she was white.
"Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let's address reality and the problems we're facing in this world, you're accused of being racist, so you have to shut up," she told the (Torrance, California) Daily Breeze. "Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"
In another interview Tuesday, she compared Obama's situation to her own 24 years ago, when she was the first female candidate for vice president.
She told a FOX News interviewer: "I got up and the question was asked, 'Why do you think Barack Obama is in the place he is today" as the party's delegate frontrunner.
"I said in large measure, because he is black. I said, Let me also say in 1984 - and if I have said it once, I have said it 20, 60, 100 times - in 1984, if my name was Gerard Ferraro instead of Geraldine Ferraro, I would never have been the nominee for vice president," she said.
In her first interview with Daily Breeze, published late last week, Ferraro said "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept," Ferraro told the newspaper. She also said Hillary Clinton had been the victim of a "sexist media."
Obama himself has called the comments "patently absurd," and his chief strategist, David Axelrod, has called for Clinton to cut ties with the former New York congresswoman, who serves on her campaign's finance committee. Clinton has said that she does not agree with Ferraro's remarks.
Clinton campaign spokesman Mo Eleithee told CNN's Sasha Johnson Tuesday evening that "Ms. Ferraro is speaking for herself. We have made clear that we do not agree with her remarks."
Ferraro stirred controversy with her recent remarks that Obama's campaign was successful because he was black.
"It wasn't a racist comment, it was a statement of fact," she said on CBS' Early Show, adding that she would leave Hillary Clinton's national finance committee if she were asked, but would not stop raising money for the New York senator's presidential bid. She also blamed Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, for misinterpreting her remarks.
Ferraro also told ABC's Good Morning America that "every time" someone makes a negative comment about Obama, they are accused of racism.
Late Tuesday, she told interviewer that she felt she was being attacked because she was white.
"Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let's address reality and the problems we're facing in this world, you're accused of being racist, so you have to shut up," she told the (Torrance, California) Daily Breeze. "Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"
In another interview Tuesday, she compared Obama's situation to her own 24 years ago, when she was the first female candidate for vice president.
She told a FOX News interviewer: "I got up and the question was asked, 'Why do you think Barack Obama is in the place he is today" as the party's delegate frontrunner.
"I said in large measure, because he is black. I said, Let me also say in 1984 - and if I have said it once, I have said it 20, 60, 100 times - in 1984, if my name was Gerard Ferraro instead of Geraldine Ferraro, I would never have been the nominee for vice president," she said.
In her first interview with Daily Breeze, published late last week, Ferraro said "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept," Ferraro told the newspaper. She also said Hillary Clinton had been the victim of a "sexist media."
Obama himself has called the comments "patently absurd," and his chief strategist, David Axelrod, has called for Clinton to cut ties with the former New York congresswoman, who serves on her campaign's finance committee. Clinton has said that she does not agree with Ferraro's remarks.
Clinton campaign spokesman Mo Eleithee told CNN's Sasha Johnson Tuesday evening that "Ms. Ferraro is speaking for herself. We have made clear that we do not agree with her remarks."
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Mississippi takes center stage in tight Democratic race
One of the most Republican states in the nation takes center stage Tuesday in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Mississippi, which has not voted for a Democratic candidate in a presidential election in 32 years, holds a Democratic primary Tuesday.
Between 125,000 and 150,000 voters were expected to cast ballots Tuesday, predicted Pamela Weaver of the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office.
While the number would represent a 25 to 50 percent increase in turnout from the 2004 primaries, Weaver still described the voting rate as light to moderate.
Sen. Barack Obama touched on the Mississippi Delta's economic struggles during a final campaign stop in Greenville, according to the Associated Press.
"We just haven't seen as much opportunity come to this area as we'd like," he told those gathered at a restaurant, the AP reported. "And one of the challenges, I think, for the next president is making sure that we're serving all communities and not just some communities."
With the campaigns of Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Obama of Illinois battling for every delegate, the political spotlight is on a state not used to being the center of such attention.
Obama campaigned in Mississippi on Monday and will spend part of Tuesday doing the same, while rival Clinton made a swing through the state on Thursday and Friday.
In addition, former President Bill Clinton made the rounds for his wife in Mississippi over the weekend. Not bad for a state that has only 33 delegates up for grabs.
Obama leads in the fight for delegates, 1,553 to 1,438, but neither candidate is close to the 2,025 delegates needed to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination.
With the stakes so high, every state matters. In fact, both candidates traveled to Wyoming last week, to battle for just 12 delegates.
Obama won the caucuses in Wyoming on Saturday, taking seven of the 12 delegates at stake.
Mississippi, which has not voted for a Democratic candidate in a presidential election in 32 years, holds a Democratic primary Tuesday.
Between 125,000 and 150,000 voters were expected to cast ballots Tuesday, predicted Pamela Weaver of the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office.
While the number would represent a 25 to 50 percent increase in turnout from the 2004 primaries, Weaver still described the voting rate as light to moderate.
Sen. Barack Obama touched on the Mississippi Delta's economic struggles during a final campaign stop in Greenville, according to the Associated Press.
"We just haven't seen as much opportunity come to this area as we'd like," he told those gathered at a restaurant, the AP reported. "And one of the challenges, I think, for the next president is making sure that we're serving all communities and not just some communities."
With the campaigns of Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Obama of Illinois battling for every delegate, the political spotlight is on a state not used to being the center of such attention.
Obama campaigned in Mississippi on Monday and will spend part of Tuesday doing the same, while rival Clinton made a swing through the state on Thursday and Friday.
In addition, former President Bill Clinton made the rounds for his wife in Mississippi over the weekend. Not bad for a state that has only 33 delegates up for grabs.
Obama leads in the fight for delegates, 1,553 to 1,438, but neither candidate is close to the 2,025 delegates needed to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination.
With the stakes so high, every state matters. In fact, both candidates traveled to Wyoming last week, to battle for just 12 delegates.
Obama won the caucuses in Wyoming on Saturday, taking seven of the 12 delegates at stake.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Prescription drugs found in drinking water across U.S.
A vast array of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones, have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.
To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.
But the presence of so many prescription drugs -- and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen -- in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.
In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas -- from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit, Michigan, to Louisville, Kentucky.
To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.
But the presence of so many prescription drugs -- and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen -- in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.
In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas -- from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit, Michigan, to Louisville, Kentucky.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Leads in Times Square bombing fizzle
Investigators trying to track down the person who set off a small bomb in front of a military recruitment center in Times Square have dismissed one lead and are casting doubt on another.
The person who sent letters to members of Congress that included a photo of the recruitment station "is not the bomber" who attacked the building Thursday, law enforcement sources say.
"The letter's really innocuous," New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told CNN's "American Morning" Friday. "It's really advice to the Democratic Party as to how to win the 2008 election."
The letters drew suspicion because they were delivered to members of Congress the day of the bombing and included a picture of the recruitment station with the words, "We did it."
Kelly said the letter writer claims the picture was the writer's 2006 holiday card and the words "We did it" referred to the Democrats' takeover of Congress in that year's elections.
The person who sent letters to members of Congress that included a photo of the recruitment station "is not the bomber" who attacked the building Thursday, law enforcement sources say.
"The letter's really innocuous," New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told CNN's "American Morning" Friday. "It's really advice to the Democratic Party as to how to win the 2008 election."
The letters drew suspicion because they were delivered to members of Congress the day of the bombing and included a picture of the recruitment station with the words, "We did it."
Kelly said the letter writer claims the picture was the writer's 2006 holiday card and the words "We did it" referred to the Democrats' takeover of Congress in that year's elections.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Florida, Michigan seek exit from Democratic penalty box
Will the recount state become the re-primary state? And will voters in Michigan have their say in picking a Democratic candidate for president?
Political leaders from Florida and Michigan were busy Wednesday talking about plans to make sure that voters in their states are heard in picking a Democratic nominee.
The discussions unfolded amid a grueling, delegate-by-delegate fight between Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.
The national Democratic Party stripped Florida and Michigan of their delegates to the national convention after the states moved up the dates of their primary elections.
That means votes that were cast in primaries in those states will not translate into delegates awarded to one candidate or the other in the contest for the Democratic nomination for president.
Political leaders from Florida and Michigan were busy Wednesday talking about plans to make sure that voters in their states are heard in picking a Democratic nominee.
The discussions unfolded amid a grueling, delegate-by-delegate fight between Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.
The national Democratic Party stripped Florida and Michigan of their delegates to the national convention after the states moved up the dates of their primary elections.
That means votes that were cast in primaries in those states will not translate into delegates awarded to one candidate or the other in the contest for the Democratic nomination for president.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Huckabee bows to 'inevitable,' ends GOP run
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee bowed to "the inevitable" and dropped out of the Republican presidential race Tuesday night after an improbable run for a politician little known beyond his home state a year ago.
Huckabee announced he was giving up his bid for the White House after John McCain swept Tuesday's contests in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, giving the Arizona senator the delegates needed to claim the party's nomination in September.
"It's been a heckuva run," he said.
Huckabee urged his supporters to back McCain in November and said he has no "Plan B" for his political career.
Huckabee announced he was giving up his bid for the White House after John McCain swept Tuesday's contests in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, giving the Arizona senator the delegates needed to claim the party's nomination in September.
"It's been a heckuva run," he said.
Huckabee urged his supporters to back McCain in November and said he has no "Plan B" for his political career.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Clinton faces key tests in Texas, Ohio
Voters in four states are heading to the polls Tuesday on a day that could be decisive in the Democratic race and crown the GOP nominee.
Sen. Hillary Clinton must win the Democratic contests in Texas and Ohio, her supporters say, if she is to continue to compete with Sen. Barack Obama, who has won 11 contests in a row going back nearly a month.
Weather could affect the turnout in Ohio, with the northern part of the state under a winter weather advisory. Freezing rain was predicted for Tuesday afternoon and evening. The rain was expected to change over to snow later on.
Voters in Vermont and Rhode Island are also casting ballots Tuesday. Vermont also was under a winter storm warning.
On the Republican side, Tuesday could be the day Sen. John McCain of Arizona wins enough delegates to mathematically secure his party's nomination, thought he has been the presumed GOP nominee for weeks.
Sen. Hillary Clinton must win the Democratic contests in Texas and Ohio, her supporters say, if she is to continue to compete with Sen. Barack Obama, who has won 11 contests in a row going back nearly a month.
Weather could affect the turnout in Ohio, with the northern part of the state under a winter weather advisory. Freezing rain was predicted for Tuesday afternoon and evening. The rain was expected to change over to snow later on.
Voters in Vermont and Rhode Island are also casting ballots Tuesday. Vermont also was under a winter storm warning.
On the Republican side, Tuesday could be the day Sen. John McCain of Arizona wins enough delegates to mathematically secure his party's nomination, thought he has been the presumed GOP nominee for weeks.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Former Deputy Accidentally Kills Wife
A former Fulton County sheriff's major accidentally shot and killed his wife Friday while unloading his gun, according to Griffin police.
Riley Taylor, 54, was at a family function when the gun discharged and the bullet struck his wife, Denise Taylor, 54.
Griffin police spokesman Cpl. Bryan Clanton said the woman was flown by helicopter to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where she was pronounced dead.
Clanton said no criminal investigation will be done since the shooting was accidental.
Riley Taylor, 54, was at a family function when the gun discharged and the bullet struck his wife, Denise Taylor, 54.
Griffin police spokesman Cpl. Bryan Clanton said the woman was flown by helicopter to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where she was pronounced dead.
Clanton said no criminal investigation will be done since the shooting was accidental.
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