TORONTO, Ontario (AP) March 13th 2008

Canada's Parliament is expected to vote Thursday to extend the country's military mission in Afghanistan until 2011, provided NATO supplies more troops and equipment to back up Canadian forces in the country's volatile south.


Canada's minority Conservative government reached a compromise agreement with the opposition Liberals last month that will allow for the motion to pass.

The measure will be brought to a vote in the House of Commons.

The Conservatives are pushing the motion on a confidence vote, which would trigger early elections if it fails. However, the agreement between the two sides averts the threat of early elections over the issue.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government was under pressure to withdraw Canada's troops from Afghanistan after the deaths of 80 soldiers and a diplomat.

The mission is set to expire in February 2009 unless lawmakers extend it.

Spitzer Prostitute Details: $80,000 Spent, Mood Music, Multiple Prostitutes, Up To A Decade Of Use And An Ever-Present Security Detail



Buzz up!on Yahoo!According to sources, Eliot Spitzer has spent up to $80,000 on prostitutes, and may have used tax dollars for the meet ups (meet Kristen, his Feb. 13 liason):


As Gov. Spitzer held the state hostage to negotiate a sweet plea deal Tuesday night, probers looked to see if he used tax dollars for trysts with high-priced hookers totaling up to $80,000.


A source familiar with the probe said IRS and FBI investigators found at least nine instances going back 18 months in which Spitzer made multiple cash transfers linked to Emperors Club VIP, a high-priced prostitution ring.

Although the cash used to pay for a $4,300 prostitute named "Kristen" apparently came from Spitzer's account, he used taxpayer dollars to fly to and from his illicit rendezvous.

Investigators are looking to see whether he used state money for the hotel rooms.


It is unclear how he was able to carry out his meetings with his ever-present security detail:

Since Eliot Spitzer was sworn in as governor in January 2007, he has been escorted by a four-person detail of state troopers assigned to keep watch over him during all his waking hours. (Mr. Spitzer also had a security team during his eight years as attorney general, but it was beefed up when he moved to the governor's mansion.)

So where were the troopers on the night of Feb. 13, when, law enforcement officials say, Mr. Spitzer was entertained by a high-priced prostitute at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington?

The affidavit that outlines the governor's contact with the Emperor's Club V.I.P. prostitution ring and a brunette known as Kristen makes no mention of his security detail. But in one instance, he appears to have called the club to arrange a date within a half-hour of leaving a public event, suggesting he would have been dialing while being driven by a trooper.

What remains unclear is whether protocol would dictate that the officers stand sentry outside his hotel room overnight, or have them call it a day once the governor retires,



He has been with seven or eight prostitutes in recent years:


Gov. Eliot Spitzer had at least seven or eight liaisons over the last several years with prostitutes supplied by an international call girl ring based in New Jersey, according to sources familiar with the investigation into Spitzer's relationship with the ring.


The liaisons between Spitzer and a number of different prostitutes occurred around the country, including in Washington, D.C., and Florida, the sources said. For each encounter, Spitzer paid several thousand dollars, the sources said; The Associated Press cited a source that said the total could be as high as $80,000.



Spitzer got busted because of his wire transfers. He reportedly went out of his way to cover his tracks, triggering the bank to alert the IRS:


Last year, Spitzer wired more than $10,000 from a Manhattan bank account to a front company for the Emperors Club VIP, which hired out prostitutes to high-end clients, according to a newsday.com report.


But in an apparent effort to evade federal regulations requiring that transactions involving $10,000 or more be disclosed to the government, Spitzer broke up the money into a series of smaller transfers on numerous occasions over at least a year, sources said.

Despite that, Spitzer got worried that he could be tied to the transfers and asked the bank to remove his name from the transactions. The bank reportedly refused, not only because of regulations, but also because the money had already gone out.



His history with prostitutes wasn't limited to the Emperors Club VIP and went back as far as a decade:


The millionaire, married politician has been hopping into bed with harlots for as long as a decade and traveled as far as Florida for steamy trysts, sources said.


One of them, a 22-year-old call girl who goes by the name "Sienna" on her Web site, told ABC News that Spitzer paid her for *** two years ago when he was still attorney general.

He tipped big and "didn't do anything that wasn't clean," she added.


The night of his meeting with "Kristen," Spitzer was searching for classical mood music:


Shortly before his pre-Valentine Day's Washington, DC, hotel tryst with the call girl now publicly known as "Kristen," Spitzer asked his aides in the Mayflower Hotel if they had a classical-music CD he could bring to his room, a witness said.


Between 9 and 9:15 p.m. on Feb. 13, Spitzer came down to the hotel bar and asked his contingent of about eight for a CD, which no one had, the witness told The Post.

The governor - normally a rock fan who last year attended a Bruce Springsteen concert in Albany - was said to be wearing a blue sweatshirt and jeans.

"At the time, he claimed it was to help him focus and concentrate," the source said of Spitzer. "He said he was going to work late into the night."

The governor was seeking the mood music just minutes before the prostitute arrived at the hotel.


One high-priced call girl named Kristen is deyning she's Spitzer's Kristen.

Five scams you may not know about
Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:08PM EDT
See Comments (112)

Buzz up!on Yahoo!Identity theft has become a huge problem in the United States. The FTC recently reported that identity theft was the number one complaint again last year for the eighth consecutive year! There are literally thousands of scams out there, and you're probably familiar with most of them, but new scams are getting more sophisticated as people get savvier. For this reason, I thought I'd highlight some of the newest scams making the headlines.

Here are the top five scams you may not know about:

Tax and Rebate Scams

The Scam: Consumers get a call or e-mail claiming to be from a government agency, such as the IRS or Social Security Administration, that asks for personal information to process a rebate check. These crooks ask consumers to provide personal information like their social security number, bank account number, or other details they can use to commit identity theft. If they resist giving out information, they're told they cannot receive the rebate unless the information is provided.

The Don'ts: Never give sensitive information to anyone over the phone or email. If you get a suspicious email, delete it immediately. Don't click on any links either, for they might take you to a phishing site or install spyware on your computer. Keep in mind that most government agencies don't collect information by phone or email. The FTC recommends you contact the IRS or SSA directly if you have any questions or concerns. To learn more about other tax scams check out the IRS Top 2008 "Dirty Dozen" Tax Scams.

Cheap Electronics Scam

The Scam: Shopping website that appears legit sells electronic products at extremely low prices. The site is so sophisticated, even the most savvy consumer will have a hard time telling it's a fake. One recent article on PCMag, mentions these scamming sites may be part of a bigger network, since they all have a $500 minimum purchase requirement, and may ask for payment in the form of a Western Union money order to be mailed to a foreign address.

The Signs: Things a like a foreign address, a $500 minimum purchase, or the lack of a secure payment transaction form should raise red flags. A site may appear legitimate, but if you have a hard time recognizing the validity of the website, watch out for things like a new domain registration, questionable contact information, grammatical and spelling errors, a no return policy, and untraceable payment methods. Do do some research online because chances are others may already be expressing their concerns on forums or blogs.

Chatroom Scams

The Scam: Russian cyber-crooks have developed a software robot that poses as a human in chatrooms. These bots can chat with up to 10 people simultaneously, and easily persuade them to hand over phone numbers, photographs, birthday, address, and other personal information. The site claims "Not a single girl has yet realized that she was communicating with a program!" Information harvested by these bots can be used by fraudsters to carry out various forms of fraud. Unsuspecting victims may also be tricked into visiting a 'personal site' that could load malware onto their computers. Sergei Shevchenko, Senior Malware Analyst at PC Tools said CyberLover, "employs highly intelligent and customized dialogue to target users of social networking systems. It can monitor Internet browser activity, automatically recognize and fill in the fields in the web pages, generate keystrokes and mouse clicks, and post messages, URLs, files and photos."

The Dont's: Common sense says never, ever give out personal information to anyone you just met online.

Local Charity Scams

The Scam: Fraudsters claiming to be from the local police department or DARE program are calling or approaching private citizens and businesses soliciting donations purporting to benefit police officers. What's convincing some people into handing over personal and financial information to these imposters is the spoofed number that pops up in the caller ID. Police say many victims have reported a phone number that appears to be from the local police department, so don't be fooled.

The Do's: If you want to support the local police or fire department, find out when they hold their annual fund drives. Most departments don't solicit donations via telephone, so it's best to check out their site to find out when and how they seek donations.

Cancer Cure Scam

The Scam: As more people turn to the web for medical advice, they're encountering websites that advertise natural products they claim will prevent or cure everything from cancer to diabetes. Scammers know people are searching for natural remedies online, so they exaggerate the language on their site, and even add a few medical terms to sound legitimate. Oftentimes, they'll claim their supplies are not sold anywhere else, and sell them at a high price. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a miracle cure for cancer, but these scammers will have you believe there is, and will even discourage you from taking real medicine. The reality is many of these products are not proven, effective, or safe, and the sites are full of false testimonials.

The Do's: Canada has already started to crack down on such sites, demanding they remove any false claims quickly. Andrea Rosen, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Canada's Competition Bureau, says consumers should be skeptical of health-related products or services that look too good to be true. People should talk to their doctor before trying any new treatment. Check out the Anatomy of an Online Health Scam before you buy medicine online.

There are plenty of other scams out there, so the Federal Trade Commission has put together a nice list of Dot Cons to help you spot a scam. Do you have any other suggestions or advice you'd like to share? Leave us a comment.

ATLANTA — A tornado left two people dead Saturday in northwest Georgia, less than 24 hours after another tornado struck downtown Atlanta, while a tornado warning remained in effect as police ordered people to evacuate the area.

Another tornado was reported touching down west of Atlanta Saturday afternoon and hail returned to the debris-filled downtown area.

Atlanta residents had about eight minutes warning before the twister hit Friday night, said Lans Rothfusz, meteorologist-in-charge with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City. Rothfusz said the tornado warning was issued at about 9:30 p.m., and severe thunderstorm warnings had been in effect for the area earlier in the evening.

Polk County EMS told FOX News that at least two people are dead.


The tornado, classified as an EF2 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita scale, lasted about 20 minutes and left broken glass, furniture, tree branches, power lines and other debris strewn onto the streets

"This was clearly a tornado," Rothfusz said.

Many residents were surprised by the storm, as were basketball fans at the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament at the Georgia Dome and the NBA matchup between the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers at Philips Arena, since the warning was not displayed at either game.



Calls to the Georgia Dome and Philips Arena were not immediately returned.

Law enforcement officials said that after an initial search, they have found no fatalities from Saturday's storms. At least 27 people were hurt Friday night, though no injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin declared a state of emergency in the city Saturday and curious onlookers fanned out across the city taking pictures and surveying the damage in their neighborhoods. Franklin urged people to stay indoors unless performing essential tasks like checking on family or property.

"Do not use this as an opportunity for sightseeing," Franklin said. "It is not as if something happened last night and everything is over. Our challenge is getting people to understand that this is a serious emergency response effort."

Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John Oxendine estimated damage from Friday night's storm at $150 million to $200 million. He said at least $100 million of the damage was at the Georgia World Congress Center, a state convention facility near the CNN Center and the Georgia Dome.

He said the storm broke through the roof, ****ing walls, glass and furnishings out like a vacuum.

"Had the building been occupied by a significant number of people, you would probably have had major injuries and loss of life," he said.

More thunderstorms headed across northern Alabama toward north Georgia Saturday. The National Weather Service posted a tornado watch for a large area of Georgia, including the Atlanta area, plus portions of South Carolina and Alabama, and a warning was issued for parts of northwestern and north central Georgia.

"We're bracing for another round of whatever mother nature throws at us," said Lisa Janak of the state emergency management agency.

All downtown events scheduled for Saturday were canceled, including the St. Patrick's Day parade.

Trisha Palmer with the National Weather Service said there had been only a "light risk" in the area Friday for thunderstorms capable of producing strong tornadoes and very large hail. In contrast, the risk was rated as moderate Saturday north Georgia and upstate South Carolina.

The storm smashed hundreds of skyscraper windows, blew furniture and luggage out of hotel rooms, crumbled part of an apartment building and rattled a packed sports arena.

Streets around the Georgia Dome, Phillips Arena, the CNN Center and Centennial Olympic Park were littered with broken glass, downed power lines, crumbled bricks, insulation and the occasional office chair. Billboards collapsed onto parked cars.

CNN said its headquarters building suffered ceiling damage that allowed water to pour into the atrium, and windows were shattered in the CNN.com newsroom and the company's library. A water line inside the building broke, turning a staircase into a waterfall.

"It was crazy. There was a lot of windows breaking and stuff falling," said Terrence Evans, a valet who was about to park a car at the Omni Hotel when the storm twister hit.

Although a tornado warning was issued, there was no announcement of the approaching storm for the 18,000 fans inside the Georgia Dome for the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament. The first sign was rumbling and the rippling of the fabric roof. Catwalks swayed and insulation rained down on players during overtime of the Mississippi State-Alabama game, sending fans fleeing toward the exits and the teams to their locker rooms.

"I thought it was a tornado or a terrorist attack," said Mississippi State guard Ben Hansbrough, whose team won 69-67 after an hourlong delay under a roof with at least two visible tears. A later game between Georgia and Kentucky was postponed. SEC officials said the tournament's remaining games would be played at Georgia Tech.

"Ironically, the guy behind me got a phone call saying there was a tornado warning," fan Lisa Lynn said. "And in two seconds, we heard the noise and things started to shake. It was creepy."

A spokesman for the Omni Hotel said guests and staff were quickly moved to the exhibit hall and ballroom and that the only injuries were "some cuts and scrapes and no major issues as far as we know."

Representatives from the Omni Hotel were on-site on Saturday morning to assess the damage to the buildings, which were full due to the SEC tournament. Although all 1,000 rooms were full, many guests were out at sporting events at nearby neighboring venues when the storm hit.

Power was knocked out to about 19,000 customers, and about 10,000 remained without power on Saturday, said John Self, a spokesman with Georgia Power. Self said that by nightfall, a workforce of 500 would be on hand to help restore power to the city. More than 40 poles were down around the city, he said.

The Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts, located east of downtown, had severe damage to one corner and appeared to have major roof damage. Atlanta Fire Department spokesman Capt. Bill May said on Saturday that authorities had searched through the night to ensure that no one was trapped in the building, and were slowed by the darkness and unsafe environment.

"We have not found anybody that had been trapped, and we feel pretty confident that will remain the case once we complete our secondary search, based on the majority of the units being vacant," May said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association said the last tornado to hit a major city's downtown was on Aug. 12, 2004, in Jacksonville, Fla. Downtown tornadoes have also struck Fort Worth, Texas; Salt Lake City; Little Rock, Ark.; and Nashville, Tenn., in the past decade.

If confirmed, the tornado would be the first on record in downtown Atlanta, said Smith, the meteorologist. The last tornado to strike inside the city was in 1975, and it hit the governor's mansion north of downtown, he said.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,338171,00.html

Yup, saw that damage. The weathermen are saying it's either a tornado or what they call strong vertical winds which can also be as devastating as tornados.

It was so bad that the St. Patrick's Day parade was cancelled.

Internet Addiction Could Be Classified As Mental Illness

Posted Mar 18th 2008 9:10AM by Evan Shamoon



Put down your laptop and listen up: The Ottawa Citizen is reporting that compulsive e-mailing and text messaging could soon become classified as an official brain illness.

This month's issue of American Journal of Psychiatry says Internet addiction -- which includes "excessive gaming, sexual pre-occupations and e-mail/text messaging" -- is a common compulsive-impulsive disorder, and that it should be added to psychiatry's official guidebook of mental disorders.

From Dr. Jerald Block, a psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, says people can lose all track of time or neglect "basic drives" (read: eating, sleeping, and the like). He says that relapse rates are high, and that some people may actually need psychoactive medications or hospitalization.

So look at yourself in the glow of your reflective monitor and ask, "Do I need help?"

And then promptly continue reading Switched.com and its affiliated Web sites. Thank you.

if this was true then i should be out there naked in the street by now lol , i use the comp 15 hours daily for the last 16 months and i used it 8-9 hours everyday before that for almost 7 years , but yeah i end it up having carpal tunnel and i dont sleep normal and thats why i always beat sprint_girl bcoz iam always up so late , i dont even wanna think about being at the house without a computer or internet service h e l l no lol

quote:

This month's issue of American Journal of Psychiatry says Internet addiction -- which includes "excessive gaming, sexual pre-occupations and e-mail/text messaging" -- is a common compulsive-impulsive disorder, and that it should be added to psychiatry's official guidebook of mental disorders.

Hmmm - I wonder if the number of visits to shrinks is dwindling because of the internet. There are so many helpful forums and sites, people might be using the internet as a replacement for psychiatrists - lol! I will need to do some research on this - lol!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/19/binladen.message/index.html

Purported bin Laden message condemns Europe


(CNN) -- A new statement attributed to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden condemns European countries for siding with the United States in Afghanistan and for allowing the publication of cartoons considered insulting to Islam's prophet, Mohammed.

Terrorist leader Osama bin Laden spoke on a video released by al Qaeda in September.

"This is the greater and more serious tragedy, and the reckoning for it will be more severe," the speaker in the five-minute audio recording says.

Mocking Islam's founder violated "the etiquettes of dispute and fighting," warned the voice attributed to bin Laden.

He said Muslims have not responded by mocking Jesus, whom they consider a prophet as well.

"The laws of men which clash with the legislation of Allah the Most High are null and void, aren't sacred and don't matter to us," he said.

The speaker dismissed claims of free speech in his statement, citing European countries' laws against denying the existence of the Holocaust.

He also said "the crownless king in Riyadh" -- Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah -- could have prevented the publication of the cartoons "if it mattered to him."

Bin Laden associate transferred to Gitmo
"If there is no check on the freedom of your words, then let your hearts be open to the freedom of our actions," he said.

The identity of the speaker could not be independently determined.

However, a radical Islamist Web site reported earlier Wednesday that a statement from bin Laden was coming shortly.

The notice appeared on Al-Ekhlaas, known for carrying statements and videos from al Qaeda and its allies.

Analysis of previous statements has indicated that bin Laden was the speaker, and a U.S. intelligence official said there was no reason to think the recorded voice was not bin Laden's.

Bin Laden, who was behind the terrorist network's September 11 attacks, has been in hiding since the U.S. assault on Afghanistan that followed those strikes.

His last public statement was an audio message issued in December, when he urged his followers in Iraq to continue battling U.S. troops there.

Wednesday marked the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The latest statement included no date reference beyond the cartoon controversy, which began in late 2005 when a Danish newspaper published a dozen cartoons about Islam, including one that depicted Mohammed wearing a turban resembling a bomb.

Violent protests erupted in early 2006 after other European newspapers reprinted the images as a matter of free speech.

Some Muslims believe that it is forbidden by the Quran to show an image of the prophet at all, and others were offended that the cartoon by artist Kurt Westergaard appeared to depict Mohammed as a terrorist.

Westergaard said he wanted his cartoon to say that some people exploited the prophet to legitimize terror.

Several newspapers in Denmark reprinted the controversial cartoons in February after Danish authorities arrested several people who were said to be plotting a "terror-related assassination" of the cartoonist.

That sparked violent protests in three Afghan cities this month, with Muslim students burning flags and chanting anti-Western statements.

The message said the publication of the drawings in question "came in the framework of a new crusade in which the Pope of the Vatican has played a large, lengthy role."

Pope Benedict is scheduled to visit the United States next month, with scheduled stops at the White House, the United Nations and Ground Zero, where the Twin Towers stood until al Qaeda's attack.

Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne of the New York City Police Department said the department "has been working closely with the United States Secret Service to provide the highest level of protection possible" during the Pope's visit to New York.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/03/20/severe.weather.ap/index.html

Killer storms push east, leaving mess in Midwest


Two vehicles sit partially submerged in floodwaters in Marion, Illinois, on Wednesday.


CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) -- Storms that dumped as much of a foot of rain on the Midwest took aim at the Ohio Valley and Northeast on Thursday, leaving behind submerged roads, swamped homes and more than a dozen deaths.

Flooding was reported Wednesday in parts of Arkansas, southern Illinois, southern Indiana and southwestern Ohio, and schools were closed in western Kentucky because of flooded roads.

The rain stopped falling late Wednesday as the storms moved east, targeting the Ohio Valley and spreading snow over northern New England. A parallel band of heavy rain stretched from Alabama and Georgia to the Mid-Atlantic.

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. Watch flood survivor tell how her friends died »

President Bush declared a major disaster in Missouri on Wednesday night and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by flooding. Seventy counties and the city of St. Louis also are eligible for federal funding for emergency protective measures.

Much of Ohio was under a flood warning Thursday, with some areas cautioned to watch for flash floods. Most of southwest Ohio had received more than 4 inches of rain, and officials in Butler County declared a state of emergency because of the rising waters.

Flooding along the Scioto River in Pickaway, Ross and Pike counties was expected to be the worst since January 2005. The river near Circleville was expected to remain over the 14-foot flood stage through Sunday, and Pickaway County authorities asked the Red Cross to prepare shelters for possible flood victims.

In Findlay in northwest Ohio, authorities closed off streets Wednesday after the Blanchard River had once again gone over the 11-foot flood level -- the 10th time it has done so in the last 15 months. The National Weather Service predicted the river would crest Thursday afternoon at 12.3 feet.

"It is going to take some time to dry out with this type of rain put down on saturated ground," said Beverly Poole, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Kentucky. "It's going to take a few days for the rivers and the creeks to recover."

The Ohio River at Cincinnati was expected to rise about 2 feet above flood stage by Friday. In nearby Whitewater Township, rescue workers with boats helped 16 people to safety and urged 40 to 45 more families to leave their homes.

Judy Booth, who's lived in a low-lying area of the township for 11 years, said Wednesday was the first time she's had to flee from flooding.

"You don't have no choice, you've got to go," said Booth, who was helped by fire-rescue squads who brought an inflatable boat to her water-surrounded home. Read tips on how to survive in a flood »

Retired truck driver George Slayton, 65, said he just wasn't sure how much water from the Black River flowed into his home in Piedmont, Missouri. He only had time to grab some medication and a change of clothes.

"I believe in God and everything, but he does things sometimes that make you wonder," said Slayton, who found shelter at a church and slept on a padded pew.

Crews rescued a man clinging to a tree in the Ohio River after his truck was swept away at a boat ramp near Evansville, Indiana. He showed signs of hypothermia and could not speak clearly.

"It's hard for anybody to say how long he could have survived there," Knight Township Fire Chief Chris Wathen said. "But I do think it was fair to say he was within minutes of losing his life."

At least 13 deaths have been linked to the weather over the past few days, and three people were missing.

Five deaths were blamed to the flooding in Missouri, five people were killed in a highway wreck in heavy rain in Kentucky and a 65-year-old Ohio woman appeared to have drowned while checking on a sump pump in her home. In southern Illinois, two bodies were found hours after floodwaters swept a pickup truck off a rural road. See what's going on in some hardhit areas »

Searches were under way in Texas for a teenager washed down a drainage pipe, and two people were missing in Arkansas after their vehicles were swept away by rushing water.

In the northern Cincinnati suburb of Sharonville, water as high as 4 feet stood outside some businesses, and police contacted owners and warned them not to open for the day.


"The biggest problem has been people driving into floodwater," said Frank Young, emergency management director in Warren County, Ohio. "There are a lot of stupid people. When that sign says, `Road closed, high water,' that's what it means."

The town of Fenton, Missouri, put out a call asking volunteers to help put down sandbags against the floodwaters Thursday. Gov. Matt Blunt said state workers was checking on nursing homes and hospitals, mobilizing rescues, opening shelters, closing highways and working to ensure safe drinking water.

What a terrible tragedy . . . almost too strange to be true.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/20/stingray/index.html

Officials: Woman dies after stingray strikes her


The dead stingray lies on the deck of a boat in Florida.

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A woman sunbathing on a boat died after a stingray leaped from the water off the Florida Keys on Thursday and struck her, officials said.

The dead stingray lies on the deck of a boat in Florida.

"It's just as freakish of an accident as I have heard," said Jorge Pino of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "The chances of this occurring are so remote that most of us are completely astonished that this happened."

He said it was not clear whether the 55-year-old Michigan woman died from the blow to her head, from the ray's barb piercing her or from her fall backward.

The accident happened off the coast of Marathon Key, in the Florida Keys about an hour's drive south of Miami. The woman, who was with her husband and children, was taken to the Mariner Hospital in Tavernier, where she was pronounced dead.

Pino said he had seen stingrays leap into the air, but added, "it's very rare for them to collide with objects."

Results from an autopsy to be conducted by the medical examiner will be combined with witness statements and evidence from aboard the vessel to determine the cause of death, he said.

The spotted eagle ray weighed about 75 pounds, said Becky Herrin, a spokeswoman for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

The species, also called a leopard ray or bonnet skate, can measure up to 8 feet in length, with an 8-foot tail, and weigh up to 500 pounds, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's Web site.

They tend to swim close to the surface and can leap out of the water when being pursued, according to the site.

By ANNE GEARAN, AP Diplomatic Writer
1 hour, 13 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - The State Department says it is trying to determine whether three contract workers had a political motive for looking at Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's passport file.

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Two of the employees were fired for the security breach and the third was disciplined but is still working, the department said Thursday night. It would not release the names of those who were fired and disciplined or the names of the two companies for which they worked. The department's inspector general is investigating.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that for now it appears that nothing other than "imprudent curiosity" was involved in three separate breaches of the Illinois senator's personal information, "but we are taking steps to reassure ourselves that that is, in fact, the case."

It is not clear whether the employees saw anything other than the basic personal data such as name, citizenship, age and place of birth that is required when a person fills out a passport application.

Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama's presidential campaign, called for a complete investigation.

"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," Burton said. "Our government's duty is to protect the private information of the American people, not use it for political purposes."

"This is a serious matter that merits a complete investigation, and we demand to know who looked at Senator Obama's passport file, for what purpose and why it took so long for them to reveal this security breach," he said.

The breaches occurred on Jan. 9, Feb. 21 and March 14 and were detected by internal State Department computer checks, McCormack said. The department's top management officer, Undersecretary Patrick Kennedy, said certain records, including those of high-profile people, are "flagged" with a computer tag that tips off supervisors when someone tries to view the records without a proper reason.

The firings and unspecified discipline of the third employee already had occurred when senior State Department officials learned of the breaches. Kennedy called that a failing.

"I will fully acknowledge this information should have been passed up the line," Kennedy told reporters in a conference call Thursday night. "It was dealt with at the office level."

In answer to a question, Kennedy said the department doesn't look into political affiliation in doing background checks on passport workers. "Now that this has arisen, this becomes a germane question, and that will be something for the appropriate investigation to look into," he said.

The department informed Obama's Senate office of the breach on Thursday. Kennedy said that at the office's request, he will provide a personal briefing for the senator's staff on Friday. No one from the State Department spoke to Obama personally on Thursday, the officials said.

Obama was born in Hawaii and lived in Indonesia for several years as a child before returning to the United States. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has traveled to the Middle East; the former Soviet states with Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.; and Africa, where in 2006 he and his wife, Michelle, publicly took HIV tests in Kenya to encourage people there to do the same.

Obama's father was born in Kenya, and the senator still has relatives there.

The disclosure of inappropriate passport inquiries recalled an incident in 1992, when a Republican political appointee at the State Department was demoted over a search of presidential candidate Bill Clinton's passport records. At the time he was challenging President George H.W. Bush.

The State Department's inspector general said the official had helped arrange the search in an attempt to find politically damaging information about Clinton, who had been rumored to have considered renouncing his citizenship to avoid the Vietnam War draft.

The State Department said the official, Steven Berry, had shown "serious lapses in judgment."

After a three-year, $2.2 million probe, a federal independent counsel exonerated officials in the incident, saying that while some of the actions investigated were "stupid, dumb and partisan," they were not criminal. The independent counsel also said that Berry and others who were disciplined for their involvement were treated unfairly.

Doug Hattaway, a spokesman for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former first lady who is challenging Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, said of the current breach: "It's outrageous and the Bush administration has to get to the bottom of it."

Kennedy and McCormack said it was too soon to say whether a crime was committed. The searches may violate the federal Privacy Act, and Kennedy said he is consulting State Department lawyers.

The State Department inspector general's power is limited because two of the employees are no longer working for the department. McCormack said it was premature to consider whether the FBI or Justice Department should be involved.

McCormack said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was informed of the breaches on Thursday.

By WILSON RING, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 6 minutes ago



MONTPELIER, Vt. - When shooting suspect Christopher Williams acted up in prison, he was given nutraloaf — a mixture of cubed whole wheat bread, nondairy cheese, raw carrots, spinach, seedless raisins, beans, vegetable oil, tomato paste, powdered milk and dehydrated potato flakes.

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