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June 2009

Boozer decides to stay with Jazz (AP)

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 16:09 — admin

SALT LAKE CITY – Carlos Boozer has reconsidered free agency, or at least put it off a year.
Boozer let the Utah Jazz know on Tuesday that he will stay with the team for the final year of his contract rather than opting out and becoming a free agent — which he once said he intended to do.
Boozer backed off his original statement and said when the season ended he wanted to consider all of his options.
He chose not to chance an iffy free agent market for more money and possibly a long-term deal, taking the $12.7 million he's guaranteed next season from the Jazz.
Boozer took until the final day to reach a decision.
Utah was still waiting Tuesday to hear from center Mehmet Okur, who also had the option to return for the final year of his contract.
When healthy, Boozer has been the Jazz's top scorer and rebounder and helped lead Utah to three straight playoff appearances. He's been an All-Star twice and was a member of last year's U.S. Olympic gold medal team, but injuries have taken him out for large chunks of three of his five seasons in Utah.
"We are excited that Carlos has decided to remain with the Jazz," general manager Kevin O'Connor said in a release. "We are hopeful he can continue to play at an All-Star level and will have an injury-free season."
Boozer has averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds since Utah signed him away from the Cleveland Cavaliers as a restricted free agent five years ago, but has only played in 276 of a possible 410 with the Jazz. He was limited to 37 games last season, due largely to an injury that required surgery on his left knee in January.
Utah learned Monday that reserve shooting guard Kyle Korver exercised his option to play out his contract for $5.2 million.

Rangers trade Gomez to Canadiens in 6-player deal (AP)

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 16:09 — admin

NEW YORK – Scott Gomez's brief New York tenure ended Tuesday when the star center was traded by the Rangers to the Montreal Canadiens as part of a six-player deal.
The key player coming back to New York is forward Chris Higgins, a Long Island native who is set to become a restricted free agent. The deal was announced one day before the NHL's free-agent shopping season opens Wednesday.
New York had been looking to clear space under the NHL salary cap and cut out a major contract that still has five years and $33.5 million left on it. The cap hit on Gomez's deal is $7.35 million.
Gomez was sent to Montreal with minor leaguers Tom Pyatt, a forward, and defenseman Mike Busto. Along with Higgins, the Rangers received defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko from the Canadiens.
"We think that Higgins is a goal-scorer and we're happy to have him," Rangers general manager Glen Sather said on a conference call. "He is from the New York area and he's excited to be coming home.
"We also got two good prospects in this deal and it gives us options (Wednesday)."
Gomez never really found his stride in New York after leaving the New Jersey Devils as a free agent two summers ago. He is signed through the 2013-14 season, but is coming off a disappointing year in which he had 58 points — his fewest since he had 55 during the 2002-03 campaign with New Jersey.
After winning two Stanley Cup titles with the Devils, Gomez was part of the Rangers' rebuilding program when he signed his big deal the same day fellow center Chris Drury left the Buffalo Sabres for a lucrative contract with New York.
Gomez had 16 goals and 54 assists in his first season with the Rangers and 16 goals and 42 assists last season.
"I have no complaints about him," Sather said. "He's a terrific guy who is going to do well in Montreal."
Higgins, a 26-year-old forward from Smithtown, N.Y., is also coming off a sub-par season. He had a career-worst 23 points — including 12 goals — last season. He played in only 57 games due to injuries that knocked him out of the lineup several times. Higgins scored at least 20 goals in the previous three seasons, his first three full campaigns in the NHL.
"I didn't expect to be traded," Higgins said. "I heard my name thrown around ever since I've been in Montreal, but I never expected it to happen. When it happened, I was absolutely thrilled."
While he is unsigned, Higgins will still come at a cheaper cost than Gomez. He earned $1.7 million in his final season with Montreal. In 282 NHL games, all with the Canadiens, Higgins has 84 goals and 67 assists.
"I am looking forward to a new challenge. It's something I take great pride in to put on a Rangers uniform," Higgins said.
He scored a career-high 27 goals in the 2007-08 season when he played in all 82 games.
"I suppose it won't be any more pressure than I had in playing in Montreal," Higgins said. "Growing up here, I know what the Rangers fans are about."

Police: 7 teens shot near Detroit school (AP)

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 15:00 — admin

DETROIT – Gunmen in a green minivan opened fire on a group of teenagers waiting at a bus stop near a Detroit school on Tuesday, wounding seven including three who were in critical condition, authorities said.
Five of the teens had just left Cody Ninth Grade Academy, where they were taking summer classes, when they were shot at the nearby bus stop.
The gunmen exited a vehicle and "asked for a person by name" before they "opened fire at the crowd," said Detroit Public Schools Police Chief Roderick Grimes. Detroit Police were looking for two suspects in a green minivan, said spokesman Rod Liggons.
The teenagers, four boys and three girls, range in age from 14 to 17 years old, Liggons said. Three of the teens were in critical condition, he said.
Another summer school student, 15-year-old Bria Wilson, said she was standing at the bus stop when she heard the gunfire. She said she was facing away from the shooters and ran away after the shots were fired. But she saw a 16-year-old male friend lying on the ground, bleeding.
"They were so close — it almost hit me," she said.
Schools spokesman Steve Wasko said there was "nothing that we're aware of at this time" linking the shootings with any fight or dispute at the school.
He said the shootings happened about 2:15 p.m., about 15 minutes after summer school students were dismissed for the day.
Imam Abdullah El-Amin, who co-owns the Numan Funeral Home near the intersection where the shooting took place, said drug-dealing, prostitution and "hopelessness" are common in the area, he said.
"It's terrible that these things are just laying there, festering, in society — time bombs waiting to happen," said El-Amin, a Muslim minister and candidate for Detroit City Council.
___
Associated Press writers Ben Leubsdorf and David N. Goodman contributed to this report.

RI man who claimed raisins made him sick can sue (AP)

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 14:57 — admin

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A man who says he was sickened by a box of raisins donated to a food program by Rhode Island's prison system can proceed with a lawsuit against the agency. The state Supreme Court said Tuesday that a lower court judge erred by dismissing a 2006 lawsuit from Thomas Adams.
Adams alleged that he suffered nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after eating a box of raisins in October 2004. He says he found an insect larva and insect dung near the bottom of the box.
The raisins were stored at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections food distribution center. They were then distributed as part of a federal food program for needy residents. Adams got the raisins in a food giveaway by a Providence church.

Stock Fund Inflow Continued In May (Investor's Business Daily)

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 14:24 — admin

Investors shoved $18.31 billion into stock funds in May, surpassing April's $11.90 billion. Bond funds had record monthly inflow of $31.65 billion.
It was the third in the past five months of positive stock fund flow, according to the Investment Company Institute.
Signs pointed to further inflow this month.
May was the largest monthly stock fund inflow since February 2007. And it was the first back-to-back inflow since April-May 2008.
Funds that invest primarily in the U.S. took in $14.06 billion in new money in May. They took in $9.39 billion the month before. During the month, the S&P 500 rose 5.31%.
Stock funds that invest primarily overseas took in $4.25 billion from investors vs. $2.51 billion inflow in April.
During the month, the MSCI EAFE index rose 11.02%, while the dollar fell 6.30%.
Year to date, stock funds gave back $12.58 billion vs. $18.31 billion outflow in the year-earlier period.
ybrid funds, which invest in both stocks and bonds, had inflow of $2.80 billion in May vs. $2.07 billion inflow the previous month. For the year to date, hybrid funds surrendered $3.82 billion vs. $9.56 billion inflow a year earlier.
Bond funds' record $31.65 billion inflow in May was up from April's $28.53 billion inflow, also a record. May's inflow surpassed the $27 billion inflow for all of 2008.
Investors shifted to bonds as the yield curve steepened slightly. Rates on long-term Treasury bonds rose 0.31 percentage points to 3.47%, while three-month T-bill rates stayed flat at 0.14%.
Ballooning Bond Funds
For the year to date, bond funds had inflow of $113.62 billion vs. $78.10 billion inflow a year earlier.
Taxable bond funds took in $25.11 billion vs. $23.43 billion in April. Year to date, they had inflow of $90.30 billion vs. $63.34 billion a year earlier.
Investors put $6.54 billion into municipal bond funds vs. inflow of $5.09 billion the prior month. Year to date, inflow was $23.32 billion vs. $14.76 billion a year earlier.
Money market funds saw outflow of $25.80 billion in May vs. $23.23 billion in April, as investors shifted cash to stocks and bonds.
Institutional money fund inflow slowed to $7.19 billion from $27.71 billion inflow the month before. Money funds that cater to individuals had outflow of $32.99 billion vs. outflow of $50.95 billion the month before.
Fund assets rose by $373.8 billion, or 3.9%, to $10.074 trillion from $9.700 trillion the month before. They stood at $12.263 trillion a year earlier.

Stock fund assets rose $295.3 billion, or 8.0%, to $4.005 trillion from $3.709 trillion the prior month. They were $6.332 trillion a year earlier.

Hybrid fund assets rose $28.1 billion, or 5.7%, to $521.5 billion from $493.4 billion the month before and $719.3 billion a year earlier.

Bond fund assets rose $74.9 billion, or 4.4%, to $1.781 trillion from $1.706 trillion the month before and $1.765 trillion a year earlier.

Money market fund assets fell $24 billion, or 0.63%, to $3.767 trillion from $3.791 trillion the month before and $3.448 trillion a year ago.

June Jumps Too

Early indications were that inflow increased in June. The ICI's weekly estimates totaled $37.4 billion through June 17.

U.S. stock fund inflow was an estimated $6.8 billion. World equity funds took in $6.2 billion.

For the year through June 29, the S&P rose 0.88%, while the MSCI EAFE fell 0.40%. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose 5 basis points as the Fed stood pat on credit conditions.

Vanguard said that investors continued to shift cash into stock funds from money market funds in June.

The fund giant said it had $11 billion inflow to its stock, bond and balanced funds in May. Shareholders pulled $3.7 billion from its money market funds.

AP Source: 10 more could be charged in Madoff scam (AP)

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 06:51 — admin

NEW YORK – A person familiar with the investigation into disgraced financier Bernard Madoff (MAY'-dawf) says at least 10 more people are likely to be charged by the time the probe is complete.
The person tells The Associated Press they will face federal charges over the next few months. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
Madoff was sentenced Monday to 150 years in prison for a multibillion-dollar fraud that burned thousands of investors.
The person familiar with the probe wouldn't detail the likely charges against the others or say whether they would include Madoff's relatives or former employees.
The only other person charged in the case is Madoff's longtime accountant, who was accused of failing to make basic auditing checks and was arrested in March.
(This version CORRECTS person familiar with probe says at least 10 more people are likely to be charged sted 10 more people will be charged.)

India's first 'sea bridge' opens in Mumbai (AFP)

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 06:45 — admin

MUMBAI (AFP) –
India's first "sea bridge" was officially opened in Mumbai on Tuesday, raising hopes that the state-of-the-art structure will ease chronic congestion on the city's notoriously choked roads.

The sweeping, 5.6-kilometre (3.5-mile) Bandra-Worli Sea Link was inaugurated by the ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi on a visit to India's financial capital.

It is hoped that the 16.5-billion-rupee (340-million-dollar) eight-lane freeway will help cut the 40-minute journey between the suburbs of Bandra and Worli to just eight minutes.

But although hailed as a triumph of engineering, the landmark bridge -- seen as a beacon of hope for other, much-needed infrastructure projects elsewhere in India -- is not fully operational.

Only four lanes will be open to traffic from 12:01 am Wednesday. Work is scheduled to be completed on the remaining section in the coming months.

India's first 'sea bridge' opens in Mumbai (AFP)

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 06:45 — admin

MUMBAI (AFP) –
India's first "sea bridge" was officially opened in Mumbai on Tuesday, raising hopes that the state-of-the-art structure will ease chronic congestion on the city's notoriously choked roads.

The sweeping, 5.6-kilometre (3.5-mile) Bandra-Worli Sea Link was inaugurated by the ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi on a visit to India's financial capital.

It is hoped that the 16.5-billion-rupee (340-million-dollar) eight-lane freeway will help cut the 40-minute journey between the suburbs of Bandra and Worli to just eight minutes.

But although hailed as a triumph of engineering, the landmark bridge -- seen as a beacon of hope for other, much-needed infrastructure projects elsewhere in India -- is not fully operational.

Only four lanes will be open to traffic from 12:01 am Wednesday. Work is scheduled to be completed on the remaining section in the coming months.

Myrtle Beach Hotel

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 05:36 — admin

Desert Cave Hotel in Coober Pedy, South Australia and the Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcón (named after the author) in Guadix, Spain, as well as several hotels in Cappadocia, Turkey, are notable for being built into natural cave formations, some with rooms underground.

Coco Chanel made the Hôtel Ritz in Paris her home for more than thirty years, until the day of her death, at 87, in a suite now named "Coco Chanel Suite".

Myrtle Beach Hotel

Girl Who Needs Adult Help Swears Friend To Secrecy (Dear Abby)

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 05:27 — admin

DEAR ABBY: I'm 10 years old and worried about my friend "Kelly." Her father has fought in two wars and suffers from PTSD, and when he loses it, he hits her.

I really want to tell someone who can help her, but she wants to "keep it a secret." I'm afraid if I tell, my best friend will get separated from her family. What should I do? -- HOPING TO HELP A FRIEND

DEAR HOPING TO HELP: Some secrets are meant to be kept, but physical abuse isn't one of them. One of the saddest things about abuse is that the victims often come to believe they deserve it because that's what the abuser tells them (This is YOUR fault -- YOU made me do this!). Of course, when someone loses control, it isn't the victim's fault but rather the abuser's, because the abuser is unable to control his (or her) emotions.

There are worse things than being removed from a violent family situation, among them the risk of serious injury. That's why it's important that you tell a trusted adult what's happening to Kelly. This needs to be reported so her father can get the help he so desperately needs.

DEAR ABBY: In our school, we're not allowed to have our cell phones out or turned on, but of course, people do it anyway. Some of these students have extremely high-pitched ring tones. They are at such a frequency that the older teachers cannot hear them. Many adults do not hear the noise.

These "mosquito" tones hurt my ears, and just about everyone in the room cringes when someone gets a text message. I'm not sure what to do. The teachers are oblivious, and there are far too many cell phones out to report them all. Should I endure it until I graduate? -- HATING THE INVISIBLE NOISE

DEAR HATING THE NOISE: Have a private chat with the teacher, tell him or her what's going on, and explain that the tones are a distraction in class. Then talk to some of the other students you see cringing when the "mosquitoes" start buzzing. If a number of you start visibly reacting to the noise, your teacher should notice and begin to take action.

P.S. Some electronics-savvy educators insist that all cell phones be placed on their desks when students enter the classroom.

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I married in an impromptu ceremony while visiting his parents. We didn't have a ring, so his mother offered to give me the wedding ring she had inherited from her mother as a gift.

About a year ago, my husband gave me an anniversary band, which I decided to wear with the ring from my mother-in-law. However, when she heard about my new ring, she asked me to return her mother's ring. I am hurt that she wants it back because I'd like to keep it. What should I do? -- TWO-RING CIRCUS

DEAR TWO-RING: First, let me tell you what not to do. Although the ring was a "gift," do not allow it to become a bone of contention. In the interest of family harmony, return it to your mother-in-law with a sweet note thanking her for letting you wear it all this time, and telling her how much that "symbol of her love and acceptance" has meant to you all these years. Maybe she'll leave it to you in her will.

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.

For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order "How to Be Popular." Send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $6 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included in the price.)



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