Beyonce, Jay-Z, Black Eyed Peas Win Early Grammys

Jay-Z via last.fm

By Eric Ditzian

Following on early dance and country Grammy wins by artists like Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, a collection of some of the biggest names in hip-hop, pop and R&B were honored with statues before the show kicked off. The winners include Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Rihanna, the Black Eyed Peas and Eminem.

2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet
Nominated for 10 total awards — the most of any artist this year — Beyonce took home four early awards. For Best R&B Song, her "Single Ladies" triumphed over Jamie Foxx and T-Pain, Maxwell and Jazmine Sullivan. Beyoncé also beat T-Pain and Foxx for Best Contemporary R&B Album (I Am ... Sasha Fierce). In the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category, the singer's "Single Ladies" beat out tunes from Melanie Fiona and others. Her "At Last" cover came out on top for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance over songs from Anthony Hamilton and Ann Nesby.

Beyoncé's husband also took home some pre-show awards. Jay won for Best Rap Solo Performance ("D.O.A. [Death of Auto-Tune]") and Best Rap Song ("Run This Town). He shared that second award with Kanye West and Rihanna.

Eminem won twice as well: Best Rap Album ( Relapse) and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group ("Crack a Bottle"), along with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent.

The Black Eyed Peas already have a slew of wins, from Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals ("I Gotta Feeling") to Best Pop Vocal Album (The E.N.D.) to Best Short Form Video ("Boom Boom Pow").

Earlier in the evening, Gaga nabbed two wins (Best Dance Recording and Best Electronic/Dance Album), as did Taylor Swift (Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song category). The "Twilight" soundtrack lost out twice to sounds from "Slumdog Millionaire."

Grammys to pit Beyonce against Swift

Image by bananawacky via Flickr

By Alan Duke, CNN
January 31, 2010 6:32 p.m. ES

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The battle between singers Beyonce and Taylor Swift for the most Grammys may provide the most drama, while appeals for Haiti earthquake relief and a tribute to Michael Jackson could bring the most emotion on Sunday's Grammy telecast.
Competition between Beyonce, with 10 Grammy nominations, and country-pop crossover sensation Swift, with eight, has been in the spotlight before.
Last fall, Kanye West famously interrupted Swift as she accepted an award at last the Video Music Awards, suggesting to the audience that Beyonce should have won.
West may have three chances to repeat his stunt, since Beyonce and Swift go head-to-head for record, song and album of the year. Lady Gaga was also nominated in those three categories.
Recording Academy President Neil Portnow said "a lot of the weird happens because it's live."
"When you're talking about three-and-a-half hours live, you never know what's going to happen," Portnow said. "It's spontaneous."
Portnow said he does know they'll be "some great Grammy moments."
The planned appearance of Michael Jackson's two eldest children during the musical tribute to their father promises to be one of those.
Prince Michael, 12, and Paris Katherine, 11, are expected to read a statement on behalf of the Jackson family, according to the family.
The youngest of the three -- 7-year-old Blanket -- is not expected to attend the show, although that could change, a family source said.
It was in the same venue -- the Staples Center arena -- that Paris Jackson delivered a spontaneous speech about her love for her father last July. The massive Michael Jackson memorial was the first time the public had heard from the children who were often hidden by veils or blankets when seen with their father.
"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," she said. "And I just want to say that I love him so much."
Usher, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson are among the performers who will take part Sunday.
Music producer Jimmy Jam told CNN after Saturday's rehearsal that the tribute to Jackson would be "very fitting, very classy, but technologically advanced."
The audience will put on 3-D glasses to watch a video produced by Jackson shortly before his death. It was based on his pro-environment "Earth Song" for use in his "This Is It" tour.
The American Red Cross will benefit from a Grammy performance by nine-time Grammy winner Mary J. Blige and pop tenor Andrea Bocelli. After they sing Simon and Garfunkel's classic "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the recording will be sold through iTunes with proceeds going to the charity.
Just 22 of the 109 Grammy categories will be handed out during the CBS telecast, while the rest of the trophies were presented in a pre-telecast ceremony next door in the Los Angeles Convention Center.
The Grammy competition is much more than pop, rock, rap and country. There are 29 fields honored.
The best musical comeback story may be R&B singer Maxwell, who has been out of the spotlight for eight years. Maxwell's album "Blacksummers' Night" and hit single "Pretty Wings" brought him six Grammy nominations.
Canadian rapper Drake has two Grammy nominations -- for best rap song and best rap solo performance -- despite the fact he's never released an album. His hit "Best I Ever Had" was only released on a mix tape. He's still working on his album, which he hopes will be ready in March, he said.
The Black Eyed Peas have six nominations, including a record of the year nomination for their hit "I Gotta Feeling."
Alternative rock band Kings of Leon earned four nominations this year thanks to last year's "Only By The Night" album. The single "Use Somebody" is up for both song of the year and record of the year. The same album that gave them three nominations last year, one of which they won.
The five nominees for best new artist include the Zac Brown Band, Keri Hilson, MGMT, Silversun Pickups and The Ting Tings. Lady Gaga, considered by many to be this year's biggest breakout act, was ruled ineligible because she had a song released and nominated last year.

U.S. military: Evacuations of injured Haitians suspended

By Susan Candiotti and Rachel Streitfeld, CNN
January 30, 2010 8:30 p.m. EST

Washington (CNN) -- Flights transporting critically injured Haitians into the United States have temporarily been suspended because of logistical issues, including a lack of space, a White House spokesman said Saturday in response to reports of a dispute over who would pay for patients' care.
"There has been no policy decision by anyone to suspend evacuee flights -- this situation arose as we started to run out of room," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said Saturday. "Agencies across the [U.S. government] are working on solutions such as standing up hospitals for the critically ill in Haiti."
But the U.S. military said Saturday that the flights were stopped Wednesday because "some states are unwilling to allow entry for Haitian nationals for critical care," according to Navy Capt. Kevin Aandahl, a spokesman for the U.S. Transportation Command.
He declined to say which states have objected to receiving injured Haitians.
Aandahl appeared to back off those statements later Saturday, saying, "All I do is move patients."
A story in Saturday's New York Times first reported the suspension of flights.
Vietor said the White House is working closely with states, international partners, nongovernmental organizations and the Haitian government to provide medical care to victims of the January 12 earthquake that devastated much of the country.
"States have been great partners in helping the response efforts and helping the people of Haiti," Vietor said, adding that officials are working to offload patients from the Navy's hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, to free up space for the critically injured.
Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist formally asked the federal government to shoulder some of the cost of caring for Haitian patients.
In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday that CNN obtained, Crist asked that the federal government activate the National Disaster Medical System to provide reimbursement to Florida and other states for taking in these patients, who have no insurance.
In the letter, Crist said he had learned of a federal plan to evacuate between 30 and 50 critically ill patients per day from Haiti.
"Florida does not have the capacity to support such an operation," Crist wrote. "Additional factors complicate Florida's current healthcare system capacity and we are at a current peak from winter tourism and seasonal residence migration."
On Saturday, Florida officials said the state remains committed to assisting Haitian earthquake victims and denied it had asked that the airlift be stopped because of a dispute over costs.
"The Direction from Governor Crist to the state team since this terrible tragedy occurred has been very clear, to assist and provide any help necessary to our neighbors to the east in Haiti," said David Halstead, the Florida official coordinating the state's Haitian relief efforts, in a statement.
"However, there remains a delicate balance of providing assistance and also ensuring we maintain adequate medical capacity to service the needs of the residents and visitors currently in our state," said Halstead, who called Crist's request to Sebelius "prudent."
A spokesperson from HHS did not respond to a request for comment.

Cincinnati Bengals' Chad Ochocinco - a receiver who gives

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BY JEFF DARLINGTON
JDARLINGTON@MIAMIHERALD.COM
``People think I'm this bad guy because I do some celebrations and talk trash and I'm flamboyant. Look, I'm working hard, I'm having fun, and nobody is going to stop me from having fun.'' -- Chad Ochocinco, excerpt from the book `Ocho Cinco'

This is fun. Everyone agrees.

For the corporate attorney in New York and the special needs teacher in Ohio and the Army veteran named Tom, this is an experience that will never be matched, whether because of the entertainment or the goodwill. But this isn't just fun. It is more than that.

``It was life-changing,'' says Lisa Gilley, one of 10 people who ended up on a random road trip with Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco on his way to the Pro Bowl in Miami. ``I am going to do something for others because of this.''

Those are strong words from a serious woman who has raised two sons and already helps with special needs children in suburbia America. She has stayed up until early hours of the morning with the others at nightclubs on this trip because, well, why not have fun?

FUN TIME

Welcome to the world of Ochocinco, a controversial figure because he says what he wants and does what he says. Welcome to the world of the one player who might actually be able to save the Pro Bowl.

If Sunday's game is about entertainment, if it is about rewarding fans with a special treat to conclude a season of support, then Ochocinco should earn a lifetime of immunity from paying NFL fines.

``He's such a down-to-earth person,'' said Thomas Green, the Army veteran. ``That's what I didn't understand. I mean, he's famous. He's Chad Ochocinco. But really, he's just . . . Chad.''

For six days, as a result of a contest inspired by Ochocinco, he and 10 of his fans made the entertaining journey from Ohio to Florida with stops at three charities along the way. His intention was simple: Have fun. And make a difference.

The trip, called the Tour of Giving, would leave each person inspired by what he or she saw. Those were the moments, especially at the Orlando Women's & Children's Mission that left the group emotionally touched.

``I know it sounds crazy,'' said John Ross, a restaurant owner in Miami who won a spot on the trip. ``But even with all of the fun parts, the impact we made at each of those charities was the best part of the trip.''

That's not to say Ross didn't have a blast. They all did.

By the trip's end, his group had hung out in the Bengals' locker room in Cincinnati, dined at Ludacris' restaurant in Atlanta, never waited in a line at Disney World, partied with LeBron James at the Fontainebleau and hung with superstar center Shaquille O'Neal after a Heat-Cavaliers game.

SHOPPING SPREE

And that doesn't even touch on the VIP nightclub treatment at Opera in Atlanta. Or the stop at McDonald's, where Ochocinco jumped behind the counter and started serving food. Or the detour to Foot Locker, where the receiver didn't just pick himself out a pair of Kobe Bryant's basketball sneakers.

``He also bought us brand new shoes, too,'' Green said. ``He just told us to pick out what we wanted. I mean, are you serious? He spent just over $1,100.''

Aside from each stop at the charity along the way, the other events were not planned at all.

``We'd talk about what we wanted to do, he'd make a few phone calls, and we were in,'' Gilley said. ``Do you know what it's like to walk into an Atlanta Hawks game with Ochocinco and hear the announcer say Ochocinco is in the house -- then show his picture on the scoreboard?

Do men and women have different brains?

by Molly Edmonds

We like to think that men and women are fundamentally the same, excepting their reproductive organs. We all want the same rights and opportunities, and for some things, such as women's suffrage, it was a long, hard fight to achieve equal footing. As a result, we're often appalled at stereotypical suggestions that the sexes might be different. Witness the reaction to the Barbie doll who said "Math class is tough!" in 1992. In 2005, there was controversy surrounding Harvard president Lawrence Summers when he suggested there were innate reasons for why women did not perform as well as men on tests of math and science. Men, on the other hand, have staged massive protests over any silver screen depiction that paints them as merely beer-swilling, football-watching couch potatoes with the vocabulary of cavemen.

OK, so we invented that last example, but just because we can't track down a concrete example of such a protest doesn't mean that men aren't the tiniest bit irked. Still, we do seem to realize that as much as we'd like everything to be equal between men and women, there are differences in how we go about things. The sales of glossy magazines that promise to teach you how to work with someone of the opposite gender as well as self-help books along the lines of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" are proof that we need a little help understanding what's going on inside the heads of men and women.

As it turns out, it may be better to turn to neuroscience rather than to Cosmopolitan magazine to figure out what's going on inside that guy's brain. Research indicates that men and women do in fact have different structures and wiring in the brain, and men and women may also use their brains differently. In some cases, this may explain some of the stereotypes that we may not like to acknowledge about the genders. For example, men do score better at tasks that involve orienting objects in space, while women do better at language tests [source: Kolata]. From there, it's but a quick jump to the conclusions that men are better at reading maps and women talk too much.

It's these kinds of stereotypes that make some people nervous about the findings on the male and female brain -- what kinds of implications would this have for our world? Would women immediately be banned from math classes and would men be forced to become engineers? Before we start jumping to conclusions, go to the next page and we'll take a look at just what sorts of brain differences we're dealing with.

U.S. announces $6.4 billion arms deal with Taiwan

From Charley Keyes, CNN
January 30, 2010 12:54 a.m. EST

Washington (CNN) -- Overriding objections from China, the Obama administration unveiled a $6.4 billion arms deal with Taiwan on Friday -- including about $2.85 billion in missiles.

The sale includes 60 Black Hawk helicopters (totaling $3.1 billion), 114 advanced Patriot air defense missiles; a pair of Osprey mine-hunting ships; and dozens of advanced communications systems.

China has complained to the United States about the sale of Patriot missiles and other weapons to Taiwan, which neither Beijing nor Washington recognize as a sovereign nation. The deals do not include F-16 fighter jets, which China has vehemently opposed.

China's Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei issued a statement in response to Friday's announcement, saying the arms deal was a "rude interference in China's internal affairs, severely endangering China's national security." He added, "China expresses its strong indignation."

The State Department described the latest round of arms sales to Taiwan as a way to guarantee security and stability, despite China's objections.

"This is a clear demonstration of the commitment this administration has to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons it needs and as provided for in the Taiwan Relations Act," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said at his regular Friday briefing. "We think this action is consistent with the U.S. one-China policy ... and contributes to maintaining stability and security across the Taiwan Strait."

He said the State Department had informed the U.S. Congress as well as China and Taiwan about the arms package.

Crowley would not speak directly about the timing of the announcement of the sales, and about the fact that the arms package does not include F-16s.

The arms sales come as the United States is hoping to persuade China to sign on to harsher sanctions against Iran and just after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized China for its policies relating to the Internet.

A senior U.S. official said later that the United States expected Chinese criticism of the arms deal, but does not expect permanent damage.

"We've worked through these issues before. We will do so again," the U.S. official said, seeking anonymity on such an important policy issue. "What is important here is the stability in the region. And we do think our ongoing sales of arms to Taiwan is fully consistent with everyone's long-term interest in stability in the region."

The official said he believed Clinton had discussed the sale in London with her Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of Thursday's international conference on Afghanistan.

"This relationship between the United States and China is broad, it's deep. There are a large number of issues. We don't see eye to eye with them and we have to have and do have the ability to speak honestly," the official said.

The arms deal is the latest chapter in a decades-long uneasy standoff; China claims Taiwan is its own territory and has threatened to invade if Taiwan ever declares independence. The United States has said it will defend Taiwan if China ever attacks.

The government in Taiwan began as the remnant of the government that ruled over mainland China until a Communist insurrection proved victorious in 1949. With the Communist takeover of mainland China, the losing faction fled to the island of Taiwan. Taiwan is formally known as the Republic of China, while Communist China's official name is People's Republic of China.

Many Western nations and the United Nations recognized Taiwan as the legitimate Chinese government until the 1970s.

Saints-Colts a Super matchup

Image by RMTip21 via Flickr

By BARRY WILNER
The Associated Press
MIAMI -- Peyton Manning, the Big Easy.

Hardly a stretch for a nickname, you know. The NFL's dominant player can claim New Orleans heritage, after all. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, he's no shrimp. And as the only four-time league MVP, he makes this quarterbacking thing look simple.

Yet when Manning leads his Indianapolis Colts onto the field next Sunday against the Saints in as juicy a Super Bowl matchup as anyone could imagine, all of Nawlins - heck, pretty much any place in Bayou Country - will be wishing the worst on a native son.

Sorry, Peyton, the Saints take precedence in their quest for a first NFL championship.

Manning, whose father Archie was the first Saints superstar, understands.

"It's certainly an exciting opportunity for our team to be going back to the Super Bowl down in Miami, and I'm very happy for the New Orleans Saints and, of course, the entire city of New Orleans," Peyton Manning says. "My parents live there, my older brother Cooper lives there. Eli and I have both participated in philanthropic organizations down in New Orleans, whether it's Katrina relief or just various charities. So New Orleans is a huge part of my life, as well as Eli's life. My dad's been a part of the Saints organization for 39 years in some ways. We definitely have strong ties.

"The Saints have had a great year. They deserve it, and I know the city is excited. And the New Orleans Saints players do just wonderful things for the community down there. It's been a great relationship between the players and fans, and what a great way for these players to reward them with a trip to the Super Bowl."

But it's Manning's job to spoil the party, to put some misery into the Miami Mardi Gras for those Saints and their fans. Nobody is better equipped to do so.

Manning once was criticized for failing to win big games, and his career playoff record is just 9-8. He's won six of the last eight, though, and led the Colts to the championship three years ago, in the rain in Miami. Indy is 16-2 this time around, and it might have been a perfect 18-0 if the Colts hadn't pulled Manning and other starters in the final two games of the regular season.

Manning set an NFL record for 300-yard playoff games with his seventh in last week's AFC championship win over the Jets. He has 22 TD passes, five this year, and averages 284 yards through the air in the postseason.

Against two of the league's stingiest defenses - Indy beat the Ravens before the Jets - Manning was masterful.

The Saints (15-3) aren't exactly the 1985 Bears. On defense, they're not even the 2009 Colts.

Still, Manning is cautious.

"You know a team is going to have a Super Bowl package," he says. "There are two weeks to prepare. That's more things they can change. You have to prepare for the unexpected."

The unexpected? Such as the Aints in the Super Bowl?

Let that one roll around your mind like the good times on Bourbon Street.

The Saints were one of five teams never to get this far; the Lions, Jaguars, Browns and Texans are the remaining outsiders. Clearly, now, the Aints are dead, and a franchise that had no home in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans has become one of the most successful clubs in the nation's most popular sport.

And while Indy has become as much a football town as a basketball haven thanks to Manning and his minions, it's difficult to find any city as infatuated with - or as dependent on - its team as Nawlins is now.

Times have been hard for the city, which still is in recovery mode from Katrina. Nothing has provided quite the boost that the Saints' ascendancy has given New Orleanians.

Indeed, a city steeped in a culture all its own shares a very fundamental trait with the rest of America: pride in local triumph. It's not something Saints fans are accustomed to, but it's something Drew Brees believes can become habit.

"Winning definitely can be contagious," he says.

The best way to establish such a habit: win next Sunday in the biggest game in New Orleans football history.

"It's a moment I've been waiting for for a long time," Brees said. "The job is not done yet but obviously we're going to enjoy this. Now we've got to finish it in Miami."

Can they? If history is an indicator, why not? After all, the Buccaneers had an even uglier resume and they won it all seven years ago, beating one of the premier franchises, the Raiders.

We know the Saints will attack on offense, and getting in a shootout with the Colts is not such a bad idea; New Orleans led the league with 510 points. The Saints, who forced 39 turnovers, must be proactive on defense to match the aggressiveness with which the Colts have performed recently - just as Indy did in its Super Bowl run after the 2006 season.

If Manning gets free rein, he's likely to have the answer for all those "Who Dats?" they're proudly screaming in the French Quarter.

It might even be a Big Easy for him.

Afghan interpreter shoots dead two US soldiers

Two US soldiers who died in eastern Afghanistan on Friday were shot dead by an Afghan interpreter, it has emerged.

A Nato official said the translator gunned down the US soldiers before other soldiers shot him dead at an outpost in Wardak province.

A US military official told Reuters news agency the attacker seemed to be a "disgruntled employee", not a militant.

Also in Wardak province, four Afghan soldiers died in an apparently bungled coalition air strike.

Afghanistan's defence ministry demanded punishment for those behind the air strike; Nato said the deaths were "regrettable" and announced an investigation.

The shootings involving the translator and the air strike were not thought to be related.

An Afghan provincial official told Reuters the interpreter had argued with the soldiers over pay and treatment, before opening fire.

Body of lottery winner found buried in Florida

The body of a former truck driver's assistant who won $17m in a lottery in 2006 has been found buried under a concrete slab in a backyard in Florida.

Abraham Shakespeare, who was barely literate, went missing nine months ago after complaining of being exploited by hangers-on who tried to take his money.

His body was found on Friday behind a home belonging to the boyfriend of a woman who befriended him in 2007.

Police believe he was murdered, but have not yet arrested anyone.

Hillsborough County sheriff's detectives used fingerprints to identify Mr Shakespeare's body, which they found covered by a concrete slab in a backyard in Plant City.

Police do not yet know how he died, but they believe the woman, named Dorice Donegan "Dee-Dee" Moore, may be able to shed light on what happened.

'Better off broke'

A tip-off led detectives to the grave behind the home of Ms Moore's boyfriend Shar Krasniqi.

Mr Shakespeare bought the winning ticket at a store in the town of Frostproof but his brother, Robert Brown, said he often wished he had never won.

"'I'd have been better off broke.' He said that to me all the time," Mr Brown said.

Samuel Jones, a childhood friend of Mr Shakespeare's, said: "He really didn't understand it at all. It was moving so fast. It changed his life in a bad way."


When he won the lottery, he forgot about being saved

Samuel Jones
Mr Jones said his friend would tell him: "I thought all these people were my friends, but then I realised all they want is just money."

Among the new acquaintances was Ms Moore.

Property records show her company, American Medical Professionals, bought his home for $655,000 a year ago.

Not long afterward, detectives said, she helped him open a company and gave herself the ability to sign for money.

She withdrew $1m and later told detectives Mr Shakespeare gave her the cash as a gift. She bought a Hummer, a Corvette and a truck, and went on holiday.

Mr Jones said his friend lived a humble life, and just before he bought the winning ticket he joined a church and was baptised.

"When he won the lottery, he forgot about being saved," Mr Jones said.

Mr Shakespeare's friends and family said when he went missing, they had hoped he was on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean.

Andy Murray - I can beat Roger Federer in final

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AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL - Murray v Federer
Venue: Melbourne Park Date/time: 0830 GMT, Sun 31 January
BBC coverage: Live on BBC One, HD, BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 live. Highlights on BBC One on Sunday at 2255 GMT


Murray is the first Briton to reach two Grand Slam singles finals since 1938


Andy Murray says he must play the match of his life if he is to beat Roger Federer in the Australian Open final.

Murray, 22, hopes to win his first major title and end Britain's 74-year wait for a male Grand Slam champion.

"I'm going to need to play my best match ever," said the Scot. "I'm totally aware of that going into the match tomorrow.

"That's what I plan on doing. I'll try and play my best. If I do, I've got a good chance of winning."

Murray will play in his second Grand Slam final on Sunday, having lost in straight sets to Federer in the 2008 US Open final, but the Briton insists he is a different proposition now.


Murray only thinking of winning final
"I was only 20 when I played him in that US Open final," said Murray. "Twenty was pretty young when I played my first Slam final. A year and a half, two years later, I just feel physically more mature, mentally more mature.

"I just have a lot more experience in these sorts of situations now. I have a game that can cause Roger problems. I have played him a lot of times now so I know the way you need to play against him. There are not going to be too many surprises on the court tomorrow.

"I know what to expect. I know how he's going to play. It's up to me, like I said, to play my best."


Federer v Murray: Tale of the tape

Murray is the first British man to reach two Grand Slam singles finals since Bunny Austin in 1938, but it is Fred Perry's US Open victory of 1936 that he is desperate to match by breaking his Grand Slam duck.

Standing in his way is arguably the greatest player of all time in Federer, who set a new record of 15 Grand Slam titles when he won Wimbledon last year.

And the 28-year-old Swiss looked in supreme form as he swept past 10th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals on Friday.

JONATHAN OVEREND'S BLOG
Federer starts the strong favourite and almost certainly wins, possibly heavily, if he plays as well as he can

"I'm sure he's going play great again tomorrow," said Murray. "Obviously, he plays very, very well. He's probably the best tennis player ever, so you would expect him to play well.

"I think if I play my best I've got a good chance against anyone. At the top of any sport it can come down to a few points here or there, sometimes a little bit of luck.

"You have to wait and see, but if I play my best, I think I've got a chance against anyone."

Murray has proved a difficult opponent for Federer in the past and has a 6-4 head-to-head record against the Swiss. He can also take heart from last year's US Open final, where Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro proved that the world number one can be overhauled with a five-set win.

"Obviously it would be nice to start well, but I don't think it's the end of the match if the start doesn't go my way," said Murray.

"Guys have come back against him in the past. "You look at the US Open final last year against Del Potro. Federer was up a set and serving for the set and Del Potro came back.


Federer tips Murray for Slam success
"In five-set matches so much can happen. A lot can change in just a few points, like my match the other night against (Marin) Cilic.

"It's not the end of the world if the start doesn't go to plan."

Federer, who completed his set of Grand Slam titles with victory at the French Open last year, is well aware of the pressure on Murray to end Britain's long wait for a for a male Grand Slam singles champion.

"I think Murray's always being reminded of that and it makes all the other players smile a little bit, that he has to hear that question over and over again," Federer told BBC Sport.

"I think he's handled it beautifully. He's been very successful, he's won many Masters 1000s and he's now putting himself in contention over and over again in Grand Slam play, so you must figure that he's got the game to do it.

"The question is now how much happens upstairs in the head. Let's say if he were to lose a second Grand Slam final, what effect has that on Andy? But he can put that all to rest by beating me on Sunday and he doesn't have to answer that question any more."

Cardinals’ Warner Walks Away After 12 Improbable Years

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By JUDY BATTISTA
Published: January 29, 2010
Kurt Warner took a job stocking grocery store shelves in Iowa after his first rejection from the National Football League, just one of the stops on Warner’s unorthodox path to stardom. There was no stint at a top college or selection in a high draft round. Instead, Warner wound through the backwaters of the Arena Football League and the now-defunct N.F.L. Europe.

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Kurt Warner announced his retirement on Friday. He walked away with a year left on a two-year, $23 million contract.

But on Friday, when Warner retired after a dozen years in the N.F.L., he went out as a possible future Hall of Fame selection, having built an extraordinary career with one Super Bowl title and two league Most Valuable Player awards from an out-of-nowhere start and stunning resilience.

Warner walked away with a year remaining on a two-year, $23 million contract, and he displayed as much dignity during his exit as he did during the twists and turns of his playing years.

“Obviously, it’s been 12 unbelievable years, some of the best years of my life,” Warner said at a news conference in Glendale, Ariz. “But I want everybody to know that I’m just as excited about the next 12, that I’m excited about what lies in front of me. I’m excited about spending more time with my family, and seeing what God’s going to do next.”

The humble beginning to Warner’s career — he did not start his first N.F.L. game until he was 28 — gave way to one in which, with surgical precision, he resurrected two also-ran franchises, carrying both to the Super Bowl while also becoming known as one of the league’s most charitable players. Warner, his wife, Brenda, and their seven children routinely select a family at a restaurant and anonymously pay their dinner tab, as a way to teach the children charity.

In 1998, the St. Louis Rams gave Warner the break he needed. Having signed him the previous December, they allocated him to N.F.L. Europe, where he led the league in several statistical categories. By 1999, the Rams had made him the backup to Trent Green. When Green tore a knee ligament during the preseason, the unknown quarterback was thrust into the starting job, and the Greatest Show on Turf was born. He was the league and Super Bowl most valuable player that season. He was the league’s M.V.P. again two years later, when the Rams lost the Super Bowl in the final seconds to a burgeoning dynasty from New England.

“We all learned great lessons from Kurt’s humility, dignity and grace,” the Rams’ owner, Chip Rosenbloom, said in a statement. “We will forever be thankful for the success he brought us and the unparalleled generosity he has shown the St. Louis community and beyond.”

Those seasons now seem a mere prelude to remarkable turns he took after them. He played poorly in 2002 and was replaced as the starter after being sacked six times and sustaining a concussion against the Giants to start the 2003 season. He was written off as a has-been. In 2004, the Giants signed him, and he won five of his first seven games. But a two-game losing streak opened the door to the Eli Manning era, and Warner was washed up once more.

But then came the final turn, when the Arizona Cardinals, a perennial laughingstock, signed Warner in 2005. He briefly lost his job there to Josh McCown in 2005 and then to the rookie Matt Leinart in 2006. But he won the job back in 2007, when the highly regarded Leinart faltered. Leinart could not hold Warner off again in 2008, and he led the Cardinals to an improbable Super Bowl appearance, where they narrowly lost to the Steelers.

In a 51-45 victory over the Packers in this year’s playoffs, Warner threw more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (four) in a 29-of-33 performance for 379 yards. It will be the last victory of his career.

In five years, Warner will be eligible for consideration to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his credentials during the N.F.L.’s pass-happy era seem to make him a solid contender. In 125 regular-season games, Warner completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 32,344 yards and 208 touchdowns. Fourteen quarterbacks have been elected to the Hall of Fame in the last 25 years, and Warner has a better completion percentage, more net yards per pass attempt and more yards per game than all of them.

Only Dan Marino — who never won a Super Bowl — had more career 300-yard passing games. Warner was the fastest player in N.F.L. history to 10,000 yards passing, and he tied Marino as fastest to reach 30,000. Warner also has the top three passing performances in Super Bowl history. His 1,147 yards passing in the 2008 playoffs broke the N.F.L. record of 1,063, which he set with St. Louis in 1999.

Warner’s departure turns the Cardinals over to Leinart. Leinart has the pedigree Warner lacked — he is a Heisman Trophy winner and a first-round draft pick. But neither he nor anyone else might ever again have Warner’s storybook career.

Halle Makes Sure to Take Care of Business

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Halle Berry went casual yesterday as she headed into a meeting in LA. She keeps things simple fashion-wise during her day-to-day routine at home, but Halle can amp up the sexy when the situation requires. She turned more than a few heads with her low-cut and backless Kaufman Franco gown at the Golden Globes, and we'll see if she makes a repeat appearance at March's Oscars.
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BCS under scrutiny from Capitol Hill

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Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department says the Obama administration is considering a number of steps that would look into the legality of the controversial Bowl Championship Series.

Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich wrote in a letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch Friday that the department will determine whether to open an investigation into whether the BCS violates antitrust laws. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter.

Hatch, a Republican from Utah, had requested such an investigation.

Weich said the administration is looking at several other options, including asking the Federal Trade Commission to review the legality of the BCS under consumer protection laws.

Several lawmakers and many critics want the BCS to switch to a playoff system, rather than the ratings system it uses to determine the teams that play in the college football championship.


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

The World’s Unhealthiest Burger?

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St. Louis Minor League Team Serves Up First 'Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger'
By Amy S Clark

(CBS) It could be the world's unhealthiest snack. The ultimate in fast-food indulgence is cooked up, not by a restaurant chain, but by a minor-league baseball club, reports CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers.

Despite having a charming ballpark just outside St. Louis, the Gateway Grizzlies will likely never be renowned for their brand of baseball — one step below Single-A ball.

But they're already famous at the concession stand. Or should that be infamous?

It's sweet like a doughnut, and then you've got the hamburger. You’ve read that right. It's a burger with cheese and bacon, sandwiched between a Krispy Kreme doughnut — a heart attack waiting to happen. A burger so perfect, they say, tampering is discouraged.

“You're ruining it! You're not supposed to put ketchup on it!” Bowers says to a diner.

“Well, I don't know. It's my first time,” he replies.

For a mere $4.50 it's breakfast, dinner, and a little dessert all in one. That it packs up to 1,000 calories — the donut alone has 10 grams of sugar — doesn't seem to faze diabetic diner Floyd Schuetz.

“Oh, I’ll have another one of these,” he says.

Nor does it faze three fans — two in their 80s — who passed up the peanuts and crackerjacks for this.

Asked if she was worried about the health ramifications, Betty Osborne says “No, not tonight. Tonight I'm living it up.”

After trying a bite — Bowers says she would normally never eat a burger like this, but she would make the sacrifice in the interest of journalistic integrity — she says it is better than she expected.

“I don’t know that I would do this again, but it’s pretty good,” says Bowers.

The Grizzlies say "cheesy" gimmicks like this are crucial to the team's bottom line.

“With minor league baseball we have to work extremely hard to get fans to come out here,” says the Grizzlies’ Jeff O’Neill.

Which begs the question — what's next?

“We were in the concession stand the other day trying to come up with 'Baseball's Best Pizza.' "

Let’s just hope it's not going to be be on a Krispy Kreme crust.

Toyota recalls 'up to 1.8m' cars

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Disallow:
Toyota says it is recalling up to 1.8 million cars in Europe following an accelerator problem.

The carmaker says it will recall eight models including the Yaris, the Carolla and the RAV4 sports utility vehicle.

On Thursday, Toyota announced it was recalling 1.1 million more cars in the US, a day after suspending sales of eight popular US models.

Toyota widened the recall to Europe and China after last week recalling 2.3 million US cars with faulty pedals.

Deep regret

In a statement, the company said the precise number of European vehicles involved was still under investigation, "but may reach up to 1.8 million vehicles."


We understand that the current situation is creating concerns and we deeply regret it

Tadashi Arashima, Toyota Motor Europe
The recalls refer to concerns about accelerator pedals getting stuck on floor mats.

The eight models recalled are the AYGO, iQ, Yaris, Auris, Corolla, Verso, Avensis and RAV4 and cover manufacturing dates going back to February 2005.

The recall does not affect Lexus models, Toyota said.

"We understand that the current situation is creating concerns and we deeply regret it," said Tadashi Arashima, the chief executive of Toyota Motor Europe.

On Thursday, Toyota said it was recalling 75,552 RAV4 vehicles in China from 28 February.

The cars in question were manufactured between 19 March 2009 and 25 January 2010 in Tianjin, according to a notice on the website of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China.

Separately, Ford said it would be suspending production of a van made and sold in China that has an accelerator pedal made by the same firm at the centre of Toyota's investigations.

However, Ford said it had only been using the pedal in the Transit Classic model since December, with only 1,663 vehicles produced.

Mahatma Gandhi ashes to be scattered in South Africa

Some of the ashes of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi are to be scattered at sea off South Africa's coast on Saturday.

Gandhi's grand-daughter, Ela Gandhi, told the BBC that a family friend had kept the ashes for decades. They were handed over to the family last year.

After Gandhi was assassinated 62 years ago, his ashes were distributed among family, friends and followers.

Ashes are customarily scattered over a body of water shortly after cremation.

These ashes will be scattered at sea exactly 62 years after his death.

Boats carrying about 200 family members and friends will be joined by South African navy vessels in the sea near Durban for the ceremony, Ms Gandhi, who lives in Durban, said.

Correspondents say it is difficult to estimate how many people received a portion of Gandhi's ashes after he was cremated in 1948.

The majority would probably have been scattered in a river or at sea shortly afterwards, according to Hindu custom.

Silver container

"A family friend, Vilas Mehta, decided to keep some of Gandhi's ashes as a memento, not realising that according to Hindu customs they should be immersed," Ms Gandhi told the BBC.

She handed over a "little silver container" to her daughter-in-law on her death bed and told her to "keep it very safe".

"The daughter-in-law thought the family should have the ashes and she brought it to us last year.

"We started thinking - what shall we do with it? We had a couple of options. But then our broader family said, the ashes must be immersed."

In 2008, some of Gandhi's ashes, kept for years by an estranged son, were donated to a museum in Mumbai which arranged a ceremony to scatter them in the Arabian sea.

Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic on 30 January 1948.

Gandhi made South Africa his home for 21 years, working as a lawyer and activist.

Sisters win fourth Aussie doubles title

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MELBOURNE, Australia -- Venus and Serena Williams won their fourth Australian Open women's doubles title, beating Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-4, 6-3.


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The Williams sisters broke Huber's serve to open the second set Friday and won the match when they again broke Huber, ending it on Serena's winning reflex volley. The sisters high-fived each other at the side of the court after the match.

The Williams sisters won the Australian title for the first time in 2001 and added championships in 2003 and last year. Black, from Zimbabwe, and Huber, a South African-born American citizen, won the 2007 title.

"I have to congratulate Venus and Serena for a great tournament -- you guys are too good," Black said.

It was the 11th time the Williams sisters have combined for a Grand Slam doubles title.

Serena has 11 singles majors, also, and is hoping for a 12th in the Australian Open final on Saturday against Justine Henin.

"I look forward to more titles," Serena said.

The Williams sisters broke to go up 4-3. Serena faced two break points on her serve in the next game before she held.

With Venus serving for the set, the sisters took the opener when Black netted a forehand on a second set point.

Venus has also won a mixed-doubles title at the Australian Open -- in 1998 with fellow American Justin Gimelstob. Serena was a losing finalist in mixed doubles with Max Mirnyi of Belarus in 1999.

Black is still in this year's mixed-doubles tournament, playing the semifinals later with Leander Paes of India against Lisa Raymond of the United States and Wesley Moodie of South Africa. Paes and Black are the top-seeded team.


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

States consider youth concussion laws

Associated Press

At least a half-dozen states are considering measures that would toughen restrictions on young athletes returning to play after head injuries, inspired by individual cases and the attention the issue has received in the NFL.

Washington state led the way last year, passing what is considered the nation's strongest return-to-play statute. Athletes under 18 who show concussion symptoms can't take the field again without a licensed health care provider's written approval. Several other states, including California and Pennsylvania, have similar bills pending.

Elsewhere, the Maine legislature passed a law last year that creates a working group on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of concussions in young athletes. In New Jersey, there's no state law to regulate how head injuries should be handled for athletes, but the legislature has allowed a commission to look into brain injury research.


[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Ed Reinke
Tim Tebow's concussion focused national attention on brain injuries in football -- and at what point it's safe for athletes to return to competition.
"There's no doubt that the majority of the people believed it was time and that it was extremely important to do something like this," said Mike Colbrese, executive director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. "The mantra for the movement has been, 'When in doubt, sit them out.' "

These state-level efforts come as a congressional committee prepares to hold a forum in Houston on Monday looking at how high schools and colleges deal with concussions. The same House panel has held hearings on head injuries in the NFL, and the NCAA recently endorsed the idea of requiring athletes to be cleared by medical personnel before returning to competition if they show concussion symptoms.

Estimates for the number of sports- and recreation-related concussions in the United States each year go as high as 3.8 million, according to the Brain Injury Association of America.

The Washington law is named after Zackery Lystedt, who suffered a life-threatening brain injury after he returned to his middle school football game in 2006 following a concussion. Lystedt's family contacted Republican state Rep. Jay Rodne for help, and last May, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the new legislation.

"I was honored to really be a part of it," Rodne said. "It's a testament to Zackery and his mom and dad."

Although there were some initial concerns about how the law would be enforced -- and whether schools in rural areas would have access to enough medical services to ease the burden of complying -- Colbrese says the rule has opened some eyes around the state.

He says schools have claimed their athletes are suffering more concussions than last year, but the reality is that they aren't. "You didn't know about them last year," he said.

About a month ago, Rodne's eighth-grade son, Tye, sustained a concussion while wrestling.

"It brought everything really to home, so to speak," Rodne said. "He had to sit out for a week, and he had to get checked by the doctor."

Assemblymember Mary Hayashi is hoping California will soon have a similar requirement. After learning about concussion-related health problems for retired football players, the Democrat has led a push to strengthen her state's laws.

Hayashi introduced two bills this month. One would require high school coaches to get training on potentially catastrophic injuries in addition to first aid certification already required. The other would require an athlete suspected of having a concussion to get written permission from a doctor before returning to play.

"We were on this topic way before Congress decided to launch hearings," she said. "I think that the media attention on all this, and certainly (other states) taking action, I think helps us to sort of say, 'What can we do to protect kids?"

Because younger athletes' brains are still developing, they often need longer to recover from a concussion, and the risk of a catastrophic injury is greater if they return to the field too quickly.

In Pennsylvania, state Rep. Tim Briggs has introduced a bill that also would require written clearance for an athlete to return to play. He says he hears "occasional comments that I'm going to scare parents from getting their kids into different sports" -- but that's about it as far as naysayers.

In Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri and Rhode Island, lawmakers are also looking into enacting return-to-play restrictions.

"We've ignored it for so long and now the baby boomer generation of athletes are coming to middle age and older adulthood and we're seeing the effects that the bodily abuse has had on them over the years," said Missouri Rep. Don Calloway, who filed legislation in his state. "You wonder what we could have done as a society or as leagues or just as citizens to perhaps have prevented some of that stuff."

Even these new laws can't prevent every tragedy. Colbrese said a high school football player in Washington died after a concussion this past fall -- he had been medically cleared to play.

Micky Collins, assistant director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Sports Medicine Concussion Program, says the measures being considered are a big step forward, but that even some medical personnel have a lot to learn about how to evaluate head injuries.

"In a perfect world, we would have an athletic trainer in every school where there's contact sports," said Collins, who also is the co-founder of ImPACT Applications, which developed a computer-based program to help measure the severity of a concussion.

The program tests, among other things, a person's memory, and the results can be compared to a baseline to show whether an athlete is ready to return to competition -- or even how much an injured student should try to take on academically.

"That's the only objective data point" within a subjective evaluation process, Collins said. He says computer-based testing is used by many colleges and in multiple pro leagues, and that it's common in high schools in some states.

In New Jersey, around 140 schools use the ImPACT program, which limits how much schools must rely on answers from an athlete who might play down the effects of an injury so he or she can return to the game.

The new proposals working their way through statehouses also would place greater responsibility on coaches and medical personnel to make the final determination on whether an athlete plays -- and they're supposed to err on the side of caution.

"Once it's a law, it becomes, I think, the next level," said Briggs, the Pennsylvania legislator. "You'll want coaches and parents and athletic trainers to take this seriously. There might be a lot of pressure on a kid to brush it off and ignore the symptoms."


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

Hurt knee or not, Shockey intends to play

BY BRETT MARTEL
AP SPORTS WRITER
METAIRIE, La. -- Jeremy Shockey is headed back to Miami, where the flamboyant tattooed bachelor with long blond locks is no stranger to the South Beach social scene.

The New Orleans Saints' star tight end doesn't sound like he's in any mood to party just yet though. For the second time in three seasons, his team is in the Super Bowl, and this time he expects to play.

"We just have to be smart in every aspect (and avoid) guys going out, doing stupid stuff, getting in trouble," said Shockey, who made news last offseason by passing out, dehydrated, at a pool-side party in Las Vegas. "A lot of people put a lot of hours, time in, injuries and so on ... so I think everyone is mature enough in this locker room to know how much is at stake."

Although Shockey is still dealing with right knee soreness that has limited him in New Orleans' two playoff games - and kept him out of Thursday's practice - the Saints hope to have him on the field. Including playoffs, New Orleans is 15-0 when Shockey plays, 0-3 when he doesn't.

With four catches for 45 yards and a TD in two playoff games, Shockey sounds confident he will play in the Super Bowl against the Indianapolis Colts - and play better.

"The last two games you guys have seen me play, it wasn't really me," Shockey said Thursday. "I was out there on one leg. It felt like being on a pogo stick. This week I'll have two pogo sticks instead of one."

Earlier this week, Shockey flew to Birmingham, Ala., to get a second opinion from noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews on what coach Sean Payton described as "more of a bruise."

Payton and Shockey said the examination left them encouraged.

"There's no holding the reins back," Shockey said. "I'll do everything I can, even it that requires hurting myself, to win the game because you got a lot of time to rehab and things of that nature to get right in the offseason."

Shockey, who starred in college at Miami and has made south Miami Beach his home, watched from a suite two seasons ago as his New York Giants won the Super Bowl.

The four-time Pro Bowler had missed the last month of the 2007 regular season and all of the Giants' climactic playoff run with a broken left leg. He said later that he felt alienated from the organization during the playoffs. He did not travel with the team to the Super Bowl, or stay in the team hotel, or watch from the sideline as most injured teammates would.

Shockey then worked out on his own in Miami instead of attending the Giants' voluntary workouts, hoping for a trade that eventually came when he was shipped to New Orleans days before 2008 training camp.

He still got a Giants championship ring, which he sent to his mother. He said he'd do the same even if he won another ring with New Orleans.

"I don't wear rings," he said, smiling playfully as he held up his left hand. "I'm not married - not married at all."

Shockey was bitter about the way his time in New York ended, but maintains he was delighted to see Eli Manning lead the Giants' to a dramatic victory that ended New England's bid for a perfect season.

"It was a great feeling watching my teammates have success and enjoy it and deserve what they got," Shockey said. "They deserved that championship, Eli and all those guys."

Shockey wanted to come to New Orleans, where he could be reunited with Payton, who was the Giants' offensive coordinator for Shockey's rookie year in New York. That season, Shockey set what are still career highs for catches (74) and yards (894).

Police think remains buried under concrete are lottery winner

By Mallory Simon, CNN January 28, 2010 9:28 p.m. EST

(CNN) -- Human remains found buried under recently added concrete at a home in Plant City, Florida, are likely those of missing lottery millionaire Abraham Shakespeare, police said Thursday.
Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee said the body was slowly being uncovered. They are awaiting positive identification.
However, Gee said their investigation and information specifically led them to the area after they began to believe he might be dead because of "sinister means and motives."
"Our indications were it would be there," Gee said during a press conference Thursday night.
Police on Wednesday had scanned the newly finished concrete slabs near the home on Wednesday and removed it. On Thursday, Gee said they discovered the remains buried five feet below the surface, and it appeared the remains had been there for awhile.
Shakespeare, a 43-year-old truck driver, won a $31 million Florida lottery prize in 2006. A year later, he won a court challenge from a fellow trucker who accused Shakespeare of snatching the winning ticket out of his wallet while the two were delivering meat to Miami restaurants.
Shakespeare's family reported him missing on November 9, telling the Polk County sheriff's office they hadn't seen him since April.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said when their investigation began, they had hoped to find Shakespeare alive "and he truly had just wanted to hide from those who were asking him for money."
"As our investigation continued, the information we developed led us to believe he may very well have ended up with an untimely death," Judd said.
Both Judd and Gee said they would not comment on whether anything else was found inside the manmade grave, or whether a previous person of interest was connected to the area.
While they await identification of the remains, police said they would begin to shift their focus to a murder investigation.
"It's painfully obvious he didn't get there by himself," Judd said.
Gee said police from Polk and Hillsborough Counties were already working with prosecutors on the case and hope to bring to justice the person responsible for what they believe is clearly cold-blooded murder.
"Somebody put that body in that hole," Gee said. "This isn't by any means just where we find someone on the side of the road. Somebody has obviously put him there."

EXCLUSIVE: Tiger's Wife: The Divorce Is Off

Tiger Woods' wife Elin has called off her divorce from the golf superstar, sources tell RadarOnline.com exclusively.

Elin spent last week visiting Tiger, and participating in his sex addiction rehab treatment, RadarOnline.com reported exclusively.

PHOTOS: Elin Taking Care of the Children Back In Florida

And while Elin had made up her mind to dump her husband after he was linked to more than 14 women and his secret life of cheating revealed, time - and Tiger's actions - have caused her to call off the divorce for now.

She returned to Orlando Sunday night by private jet after spending last week with Tiger. "She was happy when she came home," a source told RadarOnline.com exclusively. "Things went well."

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Tiger In Rehab

Elin has not filed divorce papers but has explored her options. Tiger sought treatment to save his marriage and so far it's working, the source said.

"He's told her he's serious about making it work and doing whatever he can," the source said.

She's agreed to try to make things work.

PHOTOS: Tiger Mistress Rachel Uchitel Topless

Elin had removed her wedding rings after the scandal broke and the new photos. She was not seen in public all of last week. Photographed on Monday in Orlando she appeared much thinner than when the scandal broke and the source says that's not a coincidence.

"The stress has taken a big toll on her," the source said. "But she's a strong woman."

Tiger is still at Gentle Path receiving in-patient treatment in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

After Long Decline, Teenage Pregnancy Rate Rises

By TAMAR LEWIN
Published: January 26, 2010
After more than a decade of declining teenage pregnancy, the pregnancy rate among girls ages 15 to 19 increased 3 percent from 2005 to 2006 — a turnaround likely to intensify the debate over federal financing for abstinence-only sex education.

The teenage abortion rate also crept up for the first time in more than a decade, rising 1 percent from 2005 to 2006, according to an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit research group.

“It’s very disturbing,” said Sarah Brown, of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “We had over a decade of progress on a very serious problem, and I worry that we’ve ground to a halt. I think there are a lot of different factors at play, from less use of contraception, maybe because of less fear of AIDS, to our anything-goes culture, where it’s O.K. to get pregnant and have a baby in your teens.”

While teenage pregnancy rates for whites remain far lower than for blacks and Hispanics, the pregnancy rates increased for all three groups.

As previously reported, births to young women ages 15 to 19 — a statistic that is available more quickly than pregnancy and abortion data — rose from 2005 to 2006, and again from 2006 to 2007.

Since the teenage pregnancy rate is made up of births, abortions and miscarriages, it is likely that the teenage pregnancy rate rose from 2006 to 2007, as well.

But several experts said it was too soon to predict whether teenage pregnancy and birth rates would continue to rise, and revert to the record high levels of the 1980s and early 1990s.

The Guttmacher analysis examined federal data on teenage sex, births and abortion, along with the institute’s own abortion statistics.

While it is difficult to pinpoint precisely how different factors influence teenage sexual behavior, some experts speculate that the rise in teenage pregnancy might be partly attributable to the $150 million a year of federal financing for sex education that emphasized abstinence until marriage, avoiding all mention of the possible benefits of contraception.

“This new study makes it crystal clear that abstinence-only sex education for teenagers does not work,” said Cecile Richards, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

The Clinton administration began financing abstinence-only programs as part of welfare reform, but such programs got a large boost in the Bush administration.

The Obama administration has moved away from abstinence-only programs, creating a new teenage-pregnancy initiative in which most financing will go to programs that have been shown to prevent pregnancy, with some experimental approaches.

Meanwhile, there are continuing efforts to reinstate financing for abstinence-only education as part of the health-reform legislation.

Lawrence Finer, director of domestic research for the Guttmacher Institute, said there was evidence that adolescent use of contraceptives had plateaued, or declined, adding that it was “an interesting coincidence” that this had happened just as the focus on abstinence-only education had left fewer students getting comprehensive sex education.

Advocates of abstinence-only education, however, had a different view.

“While this recent uptick is certainly disconcerting, it would be disingenuous to try to ascribe it abstinence education or any other single factor,” said Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association. “The overly sex-saturated culture certainly plays a part, with teen sex communicated almost as an expected rite of passage, without consequences, and that’s a dangerous message for young people, who tend to be risk-takers anyway.”

According to the Guttmacher analysis, the teenage pregnancy rate declined 41 percent from its peak, in 1990, when there were 116.9 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19, and 2005, when there were only 69.5 per 1,000. In 2006, the rate rose to 71.5 pregnancies for 1,000 women.

Teenage birth and abortion rates also declined in that period, with births dropping 35 percent from 1991 to 2005 and teenage abortion declining 56 percent between its peak, in 1988, and 2005.

Wilson, White face several charges

Comment Email Print Share By Adam Rittenberg
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Two more Michigan State football players have been indefinitely suspended after being charged in connection with a Nov. 22 assault at a campus residence hall.

Junior defensive tackle Oren Wilson and redshirt freshman receiver Myles White both face misdemeanor charges of assault and conspiracy to commit assault. Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio on Tuesday indefinitely suspended both players from "all football-related activities."

Wilson and White must turn themselves in for arraignment.

"As with the previously suspended players, their status with the team will be re-evaluated on a case-by-case basis as their legal issues are resolved," Dantonio's statement reads.

Police have now charged 11 football players with assault and conspiracy, and Michigan State has suspended four others who were present at the incident, which took place following a fraternity potluck event. Two players, Glenn Winston and Roderick Jenrette, were thrown off the team while two others who face charges, Ashton Leggett and Jamiihr Williams, will transfer to other schools.

Leggett pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor assault on Jan. 14 as part of a plea deal in which the conspiracy charge was dropped.

Wilson started for the Spartans in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2, while White was suspended for the game after being cited for public urination the night before the residence-hall incident.

Dantonio allowed the suspended players to attend a team meeting earlier this month, but the players' ultimate status with the team will be determined after the legal process concludes.

Adam Rittenberg covers Big Ten football for ESPN.com.

The recovery in the housing market is still alive, barely, according to data released Tuesday.

The recovery in the housing market is still alive, barely, according to data released Tuesday.

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Home Prices in Selected Cities, Through November 2009 Home prices eked out a 0.2 percent gain in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Index.

“There is no clear sign of a sustained, broad-based recovery,” David M. Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at S.& P., said in a statement.

The 20-city composite is down 29.2 percent from its peak in the second quarter of 2006 and 5.3 percent over the last year. Average home prices are now where they were in late 2003.

Data from 15 of the cities rose in November from the previous month, while five fell. The strongest cities were on the West Coast, including San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles. The five that fell included Chicago, Miami and New York.

Seasonal adjustments made the market seem stronger, noted Maureen Maitland, vice president for index services at S.& P. On an unadjusted basis, 13 of the cities turned down, while the composite fell 0.2 percent.

“The winter pause that people thought was going to happen seems to be happening,” Ms. Maitland said.

The pricing data lags by one month the sales data. November home sales were unusually strong, thanks to the rush to take advantage of the government’s tax credit. But December sales, released Monday, fell sharply.

Avatar holds steady at US and UK box office

Sci-fi spectacular Avatar continues to dominate UK and US cinemas, and has now become the most successful film ever at the international box office.

The epic film remains top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, with overall takings of $1.83bn (£1.141bn).

Its continued success puts in course to overtake Titanic's worldwide box-office tally of $1.84bn (£1.143bn).

In North America, the James Cameron film has replaced The Dark Knight as the second-biggest release of all time.

However, this has only been achieved due to the higher ticket prices cinemagoers have paid to see it in 3D.

Challenger

In the UK and Ireland, Avatar remains top of the box office chart for a sixth straight week.

Its weekend takings of £5.1m - which have swelled its overall haul to £57.4m - put it well ahead of its nearest challenger, Guy Ritchie film Sherlock Holmes.



Paul Bettany plays an angel fighting to save mankind in Legion
In the US and Canada, Avatar's takings now stand at $551.7m (£342.5m).

And, based on earnings outside the US and Canada, Avatar is now the biggest international release of all time.

Its takings, excluding North America, now amount to $1.287bn (£799m) - putting it $45m (£27.9m) ahead of Titanic.

As in the UK, Avatar remains unchallenged in the US and Canada after six straight weeks at number one.

Its nearest rival was Legion, an apocalyptic thriller starring Paul Bettany that opened in second place with a first weekend haul of $17.5m (£10.8m).

US deficit 'set to hit $1.35tn'

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The US budget deficit is expected to reach $1.35 trillion (£837bn) in 2010, according to US Congress estimates.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO)had previously estimated that the deficit would hit $1.38tn but has revised down its forecast.

In 2009, the US deficit hit a record $1.4tn - equal to 9.9% of gross domestic product (GDP) - and the highest since the end of World War II.

President Obama will submit his budget plan on 1 February.

Car bomb kills 18, injures dozens in Baghdad

SBaghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- At least 18 people have been killed and 80 injured in a car bomb blast in central Baghdad as deadly violence returned to the streets of the Iraqi capital for a second day.

The blast was caused by a suicide bomber who drove through the checkpoint, toward a government forensic office, Iraq's ministry of information said.

Tuesday's attack followed three vehicle bombings near hotels in the city on Monday which killed 36 people and wounded 71 others.

The latest bombings come amid concerns over security and fears of a fresh wave of sectarian violence between the country's rival Shia and Sunni factions as the country prepares for crucial national elections on March 7.

The buildup to that vote has been dominated by controversy over the legitimacy of hundreds of candidates banned from participating because of alleged links to former dictator Saddam Hussein's regime.



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The 511-name "blacklist" issued by Iraq's Accountability and Justice Commission, which is charged with purging former members of Hussein's Baath Party from public life, includes many prominent Sunni Arab politicians.

Banning such candidates has raised fears of alienating the Sunnis -- an issue during the 2005 elections that analysts say was a contributing factor to the years of sectarian violence that followed.

Monday's bombings also followed the execution earlier in the day of Hussein's cousin and notorious henchman Ali Hassan al-Majeed -- also known as "Chemical Ali."

In a statement issued Tuesday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad condemned the attacks on the hotels.

"The terrorists who committed these senseless crimes aim to sow fear among the Iraqi people. We are confident, however, that the Iraqi people will stand fast and work together to build their common future in peace and security," the embassy said.

CNN's Yousif Bassil contributed to this report.

Edlington torture case sentences to be reviewed

The Attorney General is to review the detention sentences imposed on two young brothers who attacked two boys in Edlington, South Yorkshire.

The brothers, aged 10 and 11 at the time of the attack, were detained indefinitely and told they would serve a minimum five years.

The Attorney General's office said it would consider whether the issue should be referred to the Court of Appeal.

Some child welfare campaigners said the minimum tariffs were too short.

They had asked the Attorney General, Lady Scotland, to examine the case.

Sources: Jackson to take Raiders' offer

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Baltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson, who was scheduled to interview Tuesday in Chicago for the Bears' offensive coordinator job, will accept an offer to serve in that capacity for the Oakland Raiders, sources close to the situation tell ESPN.


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Jackson interviewed with Raiders owner Al Davis last week and has had a desire to become an NFL offensive coordinator. His biggest project is expected to be working with Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who has been a disappointment since Oakland selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2007.

Russell again struggled this season and was benched by coach Tom Cable for four of Oakland's final seven games.

Jackson's move now leaves the Ravens with an opening. Baltimore will have two primary options in hiring a quarterbacks coach; the first would be to promote offensive consultant Al Saunders, who has fared well in working with quarterbacks, and the other is to hire former Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn.

At the very least, the Ravens will interview Zorn for the position before making their decision about which coach would be best to work closely with quarterback Joe Flacco.

Information from ESPN NFL Insiders Adam Schefter and Michael Smith was used in this report.

Obama proposes economic help for middle class

The child-care tax credit now starts at 35 percent of child-care costs for the poorest families and drops to 20 percent of costs for families earning $43,000 or more. The proposal calls for a credit of 35 percent of child-care costs for all families earning as much as $85,000, with the share declining above that income level. The White House estimates that this would reduce taxes by $900 for a typical family with $80,000 in income.

Analysis: This expansion would help many families closer to the $85,000 threshold but would not help the many families lower on the income ladder who pay no federal income taxes, because the credit is nonrefundable. The White House is seeking to help lower-income families by expanding federally subsidized child-care programs by more than 200,000 slots.

Tim Tebow struggles in opening practice

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Former UF star Tim Tebow fumbled and threw poorly on the first day of Senior Bowl practice. But it was to be sk,1.5 expected, and he did improve.
Similar stories:•Emotions build for Swamp finale
Emotions build for Swamp finaleFlorida quarterback Tim Tebow doesn't even want to think about it. Gators coach Urban Meyer started fighting back his emotions Monday. Yeah, it's going to be a Kleenex kind of afternoon Saturday in The Swamp.
Top-ranked Florida (11-0) will celebrate its senior class at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium minutes before it plays host to Florida State (6-5) at 3:30 p.m. It's Tebow's last game in The Swamp. It's the final home game for a group of seniors that has won more games than any other recruiting class in the history of Southeastern Conference football. There will be tears.
``I'm going to try not to think about it,'' Tebow said. ``It will probably be pretty emotional and pretty exciting, overwhelming, to say the least. I'm excited about it -- kind of sad it's the last opportunity, but also excited that it will be that special of a moment.''

•Urban Meyer: Tebow's status not public until Saturday
Urban Meyer: Tebow's status not public until SaturdayFlorida coach Urban Meyer said Monday that quarterback Tim Tebow's playing status likely will not be made public until Saturday, if at all.

Tebow suffered a concussion nearly nine days ago during UF's win against Kentucky. During his weekly Monday press conference, Meyer said Tebow has been as asymptomatic ``for several days'' but his playing status remains day to day. Asked if an announcement will be made Saturday (Florida plays at Louisiana State at 8 p.m. on Saturday), Meyer said, ``If it's real late, you probably have to wait late. If they clear him earlier than that, I'll probably tell you.''

•Tebow will 'just be me' at Senior Bowl
Tebow will 'just be me' at Senior BowlThe questions came at Tim Tebow like a blitzing linebacker - about his mechanics, ball placement, footwork, release. All that technical stuff that the Florida quarterback will continue hearing about as he tries to transition to the NFL.
And that was just from the media.
For all the talk about what he needs to change, Tebow is more focused on the latest piece of advice from Gators coach Urban Meyer ahead of his weeklong attempt to impress far more important observers: NFL executives and coaches at the Senior Bowl.

•Florida Gators likely won't know Tim Tebow's status until next week
Florida Gators likely won't know Tim Tebow's status until next weekFormer Florida quarterback John Brantley III, the father of current Gators backup John Brantley IV, told The Miami Herald on Thursday morning that the school's coaches and medical staff likely will not know Tim Tebow's playing status until ``the middle of next week.''
``They have to be honest with it,'' Brantley III said. ``They really don't know right now.''
Tebow, UF's All-American quarterback, must be asymptomatic for a week before he is allowed to practice. Tebow suffered a significant concussion Saturday during the third quarter of UF's 41-7 win against Kentucky. Tebow wasn't allowed to watch television or read until Thursday, according to Florida coach Urban Meyer.

•Florida Gators football: Tim Tebow returns to practice
Florida Gators football: Tim Tebow returns to practiceFlorida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow practiced Tuesday for the first time since sustaining a concussion Sept. 26 during a victory against Kentucky.
Tebow wore full pads Tuesday and alternated practice time with backup quarterback John Brantley. Both players worked with the first-team offense. Tebow participated in about 80 percent of practice, according to coach Urban Meyer.
Meyer said after practice that Tebow still hasn't been cleared to play in Saturday's game against Louisiana State, although he said that a panel of doctors discussed a timetable for Tebow's return after practice. Meyer indicated that he probably will not announce Tebow's playing status until Saturday, if at all, but all signs seem to be pointing to a return for Tebow in Baton Rouge, La.
BY JOSEPH GOODMAN
jgoodman@MiamiHerald.com
FAIRHOPE, Ala. -- Mike Singletary stared intently at the quarterback. His recognizable gaze was hidden behind a sleek pair of sunglasses, but there was no mistaking whom the San Francisco 49ers coach was watching.

He couldn't keep his eyes off former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow. Neither could anyone else.

Singletary has stared down plenty of passers over the years. On Monday, at a high school stadium in tiny Fairhope, Ala., those experienced eyes saw the same thing as thousands of onlookers during the first practice for the Senior Bowl. Tebow's first day under center in front of NFL scouts, general managers and coaches did not go smoothly.

Tebow fumbled snaps, missed receivers and at one point even tossed one wobbling, floating incompletion that appeared to slip out of his hands. The wounded pass landed in the vicinity of Tebow's entourage. Father Bob Tebow, brother Robby, sports agent Jimmy Sexton and other Tebow handlers watched Tebow struggle significantly in the college star's first-impression performance for NFL talent evaluators. But they also watched him show positive signs of his potential as well.

``There's a lot of stuff to get adjusted to, but it was fun,'' Tebow said. ``I'm just getting used to it. It's frustrating. Sometimes you drop the ball under center. You just got to get used to the centers.''

On Monday, Tebow did not look as polished as the quarterback who set a BCS bowl game record for individual offense against Cincinnati on New Year's Day. Afterwards, he compared the first day of the Senior Bowl with the first day of preseason practice with the Gators.

``That's the same way it is the first day at Florida,'' Tebow said.

Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano and his staff worked with Tebow on Monday and the Senior Bowl's South team. The Dolphins will instruct the South team throughout the week. According to Sparano, Tebow improved throughout Monday's practice after his shaky start, which included two fumbles under center. Thousands packed inside the high school stadium to watch the practice session. Scouts and coaches lined the perimeter of the field.

``That's what people want to see, and they're going to have to operate under center in this league,'' Sparano said. ``I think that combination will take a little time. As the week goes on, it will get better and better. In fact, it got better during practice.''

One of Tebow's targets Monday was former University of Miami tight end Jimmy Graham. The former basketball player measured in at 6-6 ½, making him the tallest player at the Senior Bowl. Graham has the same agent as Tebow, and they worked out together for two weeks in Miami and Nashville before going to Mobile. Graham said Tebow's initial struggles were ``predicted'' and that it wasn't really a problem.

``I've been training with him and I caught a pass from him [Monday],'' Graham said, ``and I think he can throw.''

• A national coalition of women's groups called on CBS to scrap its plan to broadcast an ad during the Super Bowl featuring Tebow and his mother, which critics say is likely to convey an anti-abortion message.

CBS said it has approved the script for the 30-second ad and has given no indication that the protest would have an impact. The ad -- paid for by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family -- is expected to recount the story of Pam Tebow's pregnancy in 1987 with a theme of ``Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life.'' After getting sick during a mission trip to the Philippines, she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child and gave birth to Tim, who had a storied college football career.

This report was supplemented with material from Miami Herald Wire Services.