Quantcast
Channel: News
Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live

Rob Gronkowski suffers injury, but returns to Patriots' practice

$
0
0

Gronkowski was one of three players who suffered an injury Saturday.

gronk.jpegNew England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) sets up to catch a pass during practice on the second day of training camp at the NFL football team's facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday, July 27, 2012.

FOXBOROUGH -- The Patriots held their first practice in full pads, and they have the bumps to prove it.

Among those suffering injuries Friday were tight end Rob Gronkowski (chin), defensive lineman Justin Francis (undisclosed) and linebacker Tracy White (undisclosed).

Gronkowski returned shortly after leaving the field with a bandage across this chin. Francis was carted off the field and White left on his own accord. Neither returned.Gallery previewAfter suffering an apparent right hamstring during Friday’s practice, rookie cornerback Alfonzo Dennard spent the day riding a bike on the side of the field.

Safety Nate Ebner, tight end Daniel Fells, wide receiver Jeremy Ebert, offensive linemen Sebastian Voller, Logan Mankins, Nick McDonald and Markus Zusevics, and defensive lineman Myron Pryor also did rehab work off to the side. Tight end Jake Ballard and guard Brian Waters were not spotted.

For the third straight day, linebacker Brandon Spikes appeared to be limited. Safety James Ihedigbo and wide receiver Matthew Slater were once again in red non-contact jerseys.


Brian Waters likely not being fined for training camp absence

$
0
0

Waters was excused from mandatory minicamp for "personal reasons."

Brian Waters 220 X 110Brian Waters continues to remain absent from training camp.
Gallery preview

FOXBOROUGH – Brian Waters absence continues to hang over the New England Patriots’ training camp, though it doesn’t sound as if the organization is fining the veteran offensive lineman.

Coach Bill Belichick excused Water’s from mandatory minicamp in June for “excused personal reasons," and said his training camp absence fell under the same category when first addressing the situation Thursday.

Director of player personnel Nick Caserio was asked directly if Waters was being fined for his absence during his Saturday news conference, and while he didn’t answer the question directly, he indicated that the team isn’t taking a hard stance on the issue.

"I'm not going to get into the exact details of it, but our stance and where we are hasn't changed from where we were the other day," he said.

Waters, who would be entering his 12th season, signed with Patriots last season and earned Pro Bowl honors. It is believed that he is contemplating retirement.

Power restored Saturday night at Riverdale Shops in West Springfield following prolonged outage

$
0
0

The repairs took about 12 hours to complete due to an underground cable fault and transformer problems

riverdale shops

WEST SPRINGFIELD – A power outage caused by problems with a transformer and an underground cable left the Riverdale Shops without electricity for most of Saturday.

Repairs were completed and power was fully restored early Saturday night, said Sandra Ahearn, Western Massachusetts Electric Company spokeswoman.

The outage began early Saturday morning. Work crews learned of the problems and started evaluating the outage and making repairs around 7 a.m., Ahearn said.

A fault in an underground cable was complicated by a failed transformer, leading to prolonged repair and outage, she said.

Crews were able to restore power to four businesses, Raymour & Flanigan, Olive Garden, KFC and Kohl’s, by about 1:15 p.m. by resetting an electrical transformer.

The outages were not caused by the weather but the off-and-on heavy rains have made it more difficult for work crews, she said.

The weather did not slow down the work but oil spilled from the failed transformer, which took time to be cleaned up properly, Ahearn said.

Some of the businesses in the plaza remained open but others closed because of the outage. Police did not report any problems with traffic lights.

An employee at Stop and Shop said managers decided to remain but refrigerated goods such as meat and milk were not being sold because they had to be moved to back coolers which are operated by generators.

A better Jon Lester doesn't get the win, but the Red Sox do

$
0
0

Jon Lester avoided the dismal early inning problems that had bedeviled him.

Jon LesterBoston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester allowed four runs in six innings but could not get a win at New York Saturday night.

NEW YORK - It could have been easier and probably should have been, but for the Boston Red Sox, any victory these days is a blessed one.

A five-run lead was lost, costing Jon Lester a long-awaited win in the process, but Pedro Ciriaco's ninth-inning triple was the difference in an 8-6 win over New York at Yankee Stadium.

The one-out drive to center off New York closer Rafael Soriano eluded Curtis Granderson, who misplayed a ball that should have been caught. That scored Jacoby Ellsbury and broke a 6-6 tie.

"I thought he'd make the catch, but when I saw him go back, I thought I had a chance,'' said Ciriaco, who is hitting .356 after making his fifth start at DH, a spot he had never before played.

Perhaps the wind was a factor on Ciriaco's fly ball, but its gust was no greater than the collective sigh of relief that could be heard all the way from New England.

Gallery preview"We were good tonight, and we were a little lucky,'' Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said.

"Pedro hit the ball like a knuckleball for 380 feet. He's been pretty hot.''

Ciriaco is 10-for-18 against the Yankees.

Dustin Pedroia's sacrifice fly scored Ciriaco, and the Red Sox escaped in a game that seemed in hand until the eighth, when Mark Teixeira's two-run home run off Vicente Padilla made it 6-6.

With Adrian Gonzalez driving in four runs, the Red Sox had given Lester a 6-1 lead. He gave back three in the fifth and left after six innings with a two-run cushion.

"Before and after that (fifth) inning, he was perfect. He gave us just what we needed and what we were looking for,'' Valentine said.

The lead was wiped out by Teixeira, who was Padilla teammate in Texas in 2007. They evidently did not enjoy dinner and golf together, because their relationship has taken on the nature of a feud.

That is especially unusual for Teixeira, who is otherwise known as mild-mannered. He has accused Padilla of throwing at players.

Padilla responded by throwing out the book on political correctness. He has said Teixeira should play "a women's sport.''

Padilla declined to speak to media Saturday night, which was probably just as well. Just before Teixeira's home run, Granderson had nearly tied the game twice before his drives curved foul.

Lester allowed four runs with two home runs in six innings. He sent a message not to give up on him yet.

"It was huge. I threw the ball well and gave up only four hits - I'm happy about that,'' he said.

"I kept the ball down, which was what I've been preaching all along. I gave up a fly ball homer to right (to Jayson Nix), which is the nature of the beast in the park.''

Lester's outing was infinitely better than anything he had done recently, and it gave Boston its second victory in the last eight games.

In a six-inning start of 101 pitches, Lester had six strikeouts and two walks.

Given the alarming scope of Lester's problems lately, it is not out of line to say this could be one of the most significant starts of his career - if he can build on it.

The Red Sox beat the Yankees for the second time in eight tries this year. They had been 9-16 since June 28.

A tailspin that has put the credibility of this team a source of debate began the day after Lester's last victory. His no-decision Saturday - thanks to Padilla - kept his record at 5-8 and his losing streak at four.

In a dramatic reversal from recent starts, Lester was in command from the outset. Retiring the first eight batters was a far cry from his last start, when he gave Toronto Blue Jays nine runs in the first two innings.

The Red Sox staked him to a 3-0 lead in the first. Will Middlebrooks' two-out, two-run double was the big hit.

Lester was perfect until No. 9 hitter Chris Stewart homered with two out in the third. Gonzalez' three-run homer made it 6-1 in the fifth, but Nix's two-run homer and Derek Jeter's RBI grounder made it 6-4 in the bottom of the inning.

If Nix's home run was aided by the dimensions of Yankee Stadium, so was Gonzalez'.

"I'm glad we were playing here and not Fenway Park. It was good for us to get this win and pull it off,'' he said.

Gonzalez continued to pound the ball. He had three hits, and was robbed of a fourth by Ichiro Suzuki in right.

The nature of the win carried its own satisfaction. Teixeira's home run gave an embattled team another dose of adversity, but they bounced right back.

"Great win. Got to go out tomorrow and play well, too,'' Pedroia said.

"Gonzo was determined, so was Petey ... they all were,'' Valentine said.

Lester's 1,000th career strikeout came in the sixth, when Robinson Cano went down swinging. Bruce Hurst is the all-time Red Sox record-holder for a lefty with 1,043.

Lester had thrown an encouraging bullpen session this week. He also got a pep talk from Valentine.

"A bullpen is a bullpen. I've had good bullpens the last four times out and obviously it didn't help,'' Lester said.

"It's nice to have a good one, but it doesn't matter.''

Past coach praises Greenfield Olympic Wrestler Elena Pirozhkova's skills, humor and generosity

$
0
0

Anibal Nieves is nor surprised his former student would playfully lift the first lady.

072712_elena_Pirozhkova.JPGElena Pirozhkova, a Greenfield, Mass., resident and member of the U.S. Olympic wrestling team, lifts Michelle Obama Friday during a meet and greet in London.

SPRINGFIELD – Wrestling coach Anibal Nieves is not surprised that his former student, Greenfield wrestler Elena Pirozhkova, is preparing to go for Gold in the 138.75-pound class at the 2012 London Olympics.

“I think her chances are great right now,” said Nieves, who lives in Agawam and coaches wrestling in Springfield. “I am biased but I know honestly she will bring back some hardware. She will bring back a medal.”

Nieves is also excited and not surprised that Pirozhkova joked with, and then with permission, playfully hugged and lifted the First Lady, Michelle Obama, during Obama’s meeting with the U.S. women’s freestyle wrestling team on Friday.

“Elena is really an outgoing person,” Nieves said Saturday. “She has a great sense of humor.”

Nieves, who coaches the Springfield Technical Community College women’s wrestling team, now has the photograph of Pirozhkova and Obama on his Facebook page.

I think it’s pretty neat,” Nieves said. “It’s a pretty cool situation (her) meeting the president’s wife and joking around with her.”

Members of the team took time away from training for some lighthearted moments with Obama. According to a press release from USA wrestling, one of the wrestlers, Clarissa Chun, challenged Obama to a push-up contest. Obama declined that opportunity, saying she didn’t want to lose.

But she accepted Pirozhkova’s quest to hold her, though it wasn’t without initial hesitation.

“I hugged her,” Pirozhkova said, “and then I asked her if I could pick her up. I think she was nervous. I went slow. I just picked her up. I wanted to ask her permission. There was security all around. And she gave it. I will only meet her once. I wanted to do something different.”

Nieves, who wrestled in two Olympics in 1992 and 1996, coached Pirozhkova in eighth grade and high school, in which she traveled from Greenfield to his club, then at American International College in Springfield.

Pirozhkova was born in Russia but moved to the United States at the age of 3 and grew up in Greenfield.

Nieves also shared a personal story, saying he will be able to go the Olympics from Aug. 6 to 13, thanks to Pirozhkova’s generosity.

Pirozhkova had called Nieves recently and asked if he had purchased a plane ticket to go to the Olympics. He told he could not afford it, and then declined her offer to help.

Pirozhkova was undeterred, calling others to get Nieves’ address, and sending him a check for $700. Nieves said he accepted her generosity and is able to go.

Jay King contributed to this report..

Longmeadow police investigate death of woman found in her Meadow Street home

$
0
0

The cause of death is undetermined pending an autopsy.

longmeadow police patch.jpg

LONGMEADOW – Police are investigating the death of a 39-year-old woman found inside her home on Meadow Street on Saturday.

Her identity was not released, and the cause of death is undetermined and pending an autopsy, detective Carl Mazzaferro said.

A neighbor, after being asked by the woman’s family to check on her well-being, found the body at 6 Meadow St. at 11 a.m. and called police. She was alone in the house when the neighbor checked.

“We’re treating it as a suspicious death until the medical examiner can rule it out,” Mazzaferro said, adding that he could not say if there were visible signs of injury.

Obama campaign visit to Durham, New Hampshire, cost $13K

$
0
0

A New Hampshire town says a campaign visit last month by President Barack Obama cost about $13,000, well below the initial estimate of up to $30,000.

Barack ObamaPresident Barack Obama poses for a photo with a patron before eating an ice cream sundae at the UNH Dairy Bar, Monday, June 25, 2012, in Durham, N.H. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire town says a campaign visit last month by President Barack Obama cost about $13,000, well below the initial estimate of up to $30,000.

Durham Town Administrator Todd Selig said Friday that public safety officials were able to reduce the cost of the June 25 visit through careful distribution of available workers and through the generosity of other agencies, which decided not to bill the town for their help.

Selig says several organizations, including WMUR-TV and The Associated Press, had filed right-to-know requests to learn the identity of a donor who agreed to pay up to $20,000 to cover expenses from the visit.

He says the town will provide that information when the funds are received.

The Obama campaign decided it wouldn't reimburse the town for the costs.

Scattered showers and t'storms overnight, low 66

$
0
0

A few leftover showers move through overnight, another batch of scattered t'storms tomorrow.

A chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms will remain with us throughout the night as a stationary frontal boundary remains draped off the coast to our south. More than 4.5 inches of rain was recorded in East Longmeadow earlier today, with more than 2 inches reported in Holyoke, Westfield, and West Springfield.

Any rain overnight will not be quite as long-lasting or widespread as earlier today, but a brief downpour and some rumbles of thunder are still possible with a few storm cells moving in from New York.

A few scattered showers will carry over into Sunday ... although not quite the widespread downpour through the middle of the day like today. The humidity levels to stay rather high throughout the rest of the weekend with dewpoints hitting 70 degrees at time, with high temperatures in the lower-80s.

Late-day scattered showers and thunderstorms will dominate a majority of next week. It is not expected to be a total washout all week long, but a large upper-level trough over the Northeast will keep us on our toes for those pop-up thunderstorms all the way through the workweek. Temperatures continue to stay seasonal (low-to-mid 80s), but the humidity stays a little bit elevated for a while as well.

Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mild and muggy, low 66.

Sunday: A few showers, partly sunny, a little humid, high 82.

Monday: Partly cloudy, an isolated afternoon shower, muggy, high 83.

Tuesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, muggy, high 82.


Gov. Deval Patrick sends back crime bill with amendment to allow parole for some violent, repeat offenders

$
0
0

Patrick said Saturday that he will send a crime bill back to the Legislature with an amendment that would allow parole in some cases for repeat violent offenders convicted under the legislation's so-called three strikes provision.

Deval Patrick signs budgetPictured, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signs the Fiscal Year 2013 state budget in the State House. Patrick signed into a law on Sunday a $32.5 billion state budget and also vetoed millions for several programs. The spending plan also includes vetoes totaling $32.1 million for a human services salary reserve, the probation and mental health departments and other programs. (AP Photo/The Boston Globe, Dina Rudick)
By Andy Metzger, STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON - Unsatisfied by the lack of judicial discretion in the sentencing bill before him, Gov. Deval Patrick on Saturday sent back the reform bill sometimes called “three strikes” or “Melissa’s bill” asking the Legislature to add a “safety valve” so that habitual offenders might be able to avoid serving the maximum sentence without parole.

Patrick’s amendment would allow a judge to add the option of parole for habitual offenders convicted of a certain third felony and marked to receive the maximum sentence without the possibility of parole under the bill the Legislature sent Patrick last week with veto-proof and bipartisan support.

“I believe the new habitual offender law should include limited judicial discretion to ensure that this expansion of mandatory sentencing does not have unjust consequences,” Patrick wrote in a letter he planned to file with the Legislature around noon Saturday. “None of us is wise or prescient enough to foresee each and every circumstance in which the new habitual offender provisions may apply.”

The recent push to deny parole to the state’s worst offenders was motivated by the Dec. 26, 2010 killing of a Woburn police officer John “Jack” Maguire by Dominic Cinelli, who was out on parole. However, the movement for more stringent sentencing of repeat offenders dates back many years and has been pushed for a decade by Les Gosule, who Patrick reached out to on Saturday, explaining the reason for his amendment.

Gosule, whose daughter Melissa was raped and murdered by a repeat offender in 1999, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. His assistant, Mike Scully, said Gosule was reviewing the amendment and assessing the situation and planned to reach out to legislative leaders. Scully said some prosecutors have expressed concern that a discretion provision could lead to “judicial shopping” among defendants to avoid longer sentences.

Patrick’s action drew a quick rebuke from House Republican and longtime bill supporter Rep. Brad Hill who told the News Service, “We’re disappointed. We’re frustrated.” Hill said, “We put out a balanced bill.”

In his letter to lawmakers, Patrick said he was influenced by Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Roderick Ireland’s letter dated Thursday. In it, Ireland said the SJC review of habitual offender convictions would not provide the opportunity for changing sentences and the new reviews – which are currently limited to first-degree murder convictions – would hamper the court in its attempts to take up other cases. Patrick’s chief legal counsel made a “verbal inquiry” to the court earlier in the week, according to Patrick’s press secretary, Kim Haberlin.

Patrick has praised other aspects of the bill that reduce the minimum sentences for drug offenses and reduce the size of school zones used to increase drug sentences.

“I have proposed a narrow amendment. If the court determines that it is in the 'interest of justice and upon a finding on the record of substantial and compelling reasons,' the court would have the authority to allow parole eligibility for a habitual offender after serving 2/3 of the maximum sentence (or after 25 years in the case of a life sentence),” Patrick wrote in a letter to supporters of Melissa’s Law.

However, adding a “safety valve” to allow for judges to grant parole would fundamentally change the law, say its supporters, who crafted the bill during roughly eight months of conference committee deliberations.
“That would gut the bill,” House Speaker Robert DeLeo told WBZ-TV’s Jon Keller. He said, “We took the most heinous of crimes and made it apply to this law to make sure that the worst of the worst are those that are going to be affected.”

The House passed the bill 139-14 and it cleared the Senate 31-7. While legislative leaders appear to have the votes to override a veto, they would not have the opportunity to do so if they reject Patrick’s amendment and he then vetoes the bill after formal sessions end for the year on Tuesday.

Patrick expressed his hope that he will be able to sign an amended bill.

“I do not send this bill back to you lightly,” the governor wrote in a letter to lawmakers. “I recognize that the time remaining is short in this formal legislative session, and there are many who would like to see this bill signed into law in its present form. Nevertheless, I believe that this single change would significantly improve this bill. I ask that you give this amendment your prompt and thoughtful consideration, and return the bill with the amendment included in time for me to sign it into law next week.”

Patrick said this week he wants to avoid a repeat of 2010 when his eleventh hour amendment to a casino bill helped kill that proposal because the Legislature, which sent him the bill as they were finishing formal sessions for the year, was out of session and unable to vote on the amendment.

Through his spokesperson Seth Gitell, DeLeo said the House would take up the governor’s sentencing bill amendment before the end of formal sessions – formal House and Senate sessions are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. A spokesperson for Senate President Therese Murray declined to comment.

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr told the News Service that even if lawmakers reject the governor’s amendment, Patrick’s actions on Saturday could jettison the bill for the current session because if both chambers send the legislation back, the governor could veto the bill after lawmakers have finished formal session for the year.

“The choice to try to insert this into the process now in the eleventh hour is deeply, deeply unfortunate,” Tarr said. He said “The clock shouldn’t be the arbiter of public safety in Massachusetts.”

Legislative leaders will add Patrick’s amendment to a long list of unfinished business, with only formal sessions scheduled for Monday and Tuesday to complete work on dozens of significant bills, including health care cost control, transportation financing, energy system reform, and economic development legislation.

[Michael Norton contributed reporting]

Hyundai recalls some Santa Fe, Sonata models for air bag issues

$
0
0

Hyundai said it received complaints from some adults under 130 pounds whose air bags didn't deploy.

Hyundai RecallsIn this file photo, the logo of Hyundai Motor Co. is seen on its car at the company's showroom in Seoul, South Korea. Hyundai Motor Co. is recalling some Santa Fe SUVs and Sonata sedans because of problems with their air bags. The Santa Fe recall involves nearly 200,000 vehicles in the 2007 to 2009 model years. Hyundai dealers will reprogram the front passenger air bag sensors so they will accurately detect when a small adult is seated. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai Motor Co. is recalling some Santa Fe SUVs and Sonata sedans because of problems with their air bags.

The Santa Fe recall involves nearly 200,000 vehicles in the 2007 to 2009 model years. Hyundai dealers will reprogram the front passenger air bag sensors so they will accurately detect when a small adult is seated.

Hyundai said it received complaints from some adults under 130 pounds whose air bags didn't deploy. No injuries have been reported. The air bags were originally programmed not to go off to protect children.

The company is also recalling 22,500 Sonata sedans from the 2012 and 2013 model years because their side air bags could go off without warning.

Hyundai said it has received 16 complaints about the Sonata's air bags, but no injuries have been reported.

Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.

Olympics 2012: Day 1 is full of surprises, rivalries (links)

$
0
0

A lot of people won medals today, but everyone's talking about -- and writing about -- who didn't.

Gallery previewA lot of people won medals today, but everyone's talking about -- and writing about -- who didn't.

"Michael Phelps is fourth! Unbelievable! I can’t believe Michael Phelps is fourth!" the BBC announcers said after the greatest swimmer in Olympic history failed to medal in the 400 IM today.

Phelps' fourth-place finish in 400-meter IM leaves him looking ordinary
, says Steve Politi of The Star-Ledger.

Now Phelps must deal with the almost-embarrassing reality of winning gold in only 14 of his last 17 Olympic events. Doug Lesmerises of The Plain Dealer wonders what many will tune in to find out over the course of these London Olympics: was it a superstar beginning his fade into retirement or just a rare rough day for a legend?

Columnist John Canzano says America faces a decision:

You're either with Phelps or Lochte. You're supporting youth or longevity. You're either rooting for a breath of fresh air or for history. You're either with Lochte, who showed up in gym shorts and a T-shirt pre-race. Or you're with Phelps, who was pimped out in so much endorsement swag, flip-flops to headphones, I wondered if he could even carry himself to the pool.
Here are some other interesting stories and color after Day 1 of the London Games:

» Is there another battle in the shadows of Phelps v. Lochte? The Internet is abuzz tonight after Hope Solo took to Twitter to bash NBC analyst and former U.S. Soccer player Brandi Chastain for being critical of the women's team's defensive play in today's 3-0 win.

» Many have criticized NBC's decision to use tape-delay, particularly with yesterday's opening ceremonies. But everyone found out today NBC broke records with that broadcast. Even in the age of real-time information and Twitter, Steve Lepore of SB Nation says it appears NBC may be having last laugh ... all the way to the ratings bank.

» Ken Goe of The Oregonian checks in from the men's Olympic Road Race. He says, "After nearly six hours of trying to follow the riders on television monitors as they wound through the Surrey countryside, the race was over in a flash of speed and color."

» So much action and only one day in the books. Sporting News offers some helpful resources, including Medal Count (China's leading with 6) and today's complete results from archery to volleyball.

Springfield's Gus & Paul's bakery busy after owner speaks out

$
0
0

According to the owner, business is up fourfold at the well-known deli and bakery his father, Paul, and uncle, Gus, opened in 1958 on Sumner Avenue in Springfield.

Gallery preview

SPRINGFIELD – It’s July, but Gordon R. Weissman, owner of Gus & Paul’s, is baking every night like every next day is a bustling Christmas Eve.

Business is up fourfold at the well-known deli and bakery his father, Paul, and uncle, Gus, opened in 1958 on Sumner Avenue in Springfield. That’s a pretty big switch from a week ago. Business had been falling for some time. Weissman was on the verge of closing up and letting the ovens go cold.

But instead he spoke up about the competition he faces from big-box retailers he says make an inferior product. He wrote letters and gave interviews, saying consumers can chose to support Gus & Paul’s or they can continue to take their business elsewhere and let it fade.

An interview with Weissman and a copy of his letter ran in The Republican’s Business Monday section on July 23. It also ran on the paper’s website partner, MassLive.com

Weissman said the response was swift and largely positive. “This has been one of the most incredible weeks of my life,” he said. “We’ve been booking lots of catering jobs. Wholesale accounts have been calling us.”

He’s especially proud of the way his staff is taking criticism of customer service at the store seriously.

“There is not one detail that they are not taking care of,” he said. “It is impressive.”

He hopes it is impressive enough to make regular customers out of the people drawn by his letter and the newspaper piece.

He’s been contacted by a website developer who has volunteered to help him move into e-commerce and shipping Gus & Paul’s baked goods to customers all over the country.

“We do a little bit of that now,” he said. “But I’m hearing from a lot of people.”

Moving, as has been suggested, is out of the question, Weissman said. His bakery equipment is simply too large and money is too tight. But he is looking at possibly changing the layout of the store.

Jesse Jackson Jr. move to Mayo Clinic for depression could point to complications for congressman

$
0
0

The announcement that Jesse Jackson Jr. had been transferred to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota pinned down his whereabouts for the first time in weeks and gave clear confirmation that the Illinois congressman is suffering from depression.

Jesse Jackson Jr., Sandi Jackson, Jessica Jackson, Jesse Jackson IIIIn this 2012 AP file photo, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., his wife Chicago Alderman Sandi Jackson, and their children Jessica, 12, and Jesse III, 8, thank supporters after his primary election win over challenger, former Rep. Debbie Halvorson in Illinois' 2nd District. When Jackson disappeared on a mysterious medical leave in June 2012, it took weeks for anyone in Washington to notice. Jackson has never lived up to the high expectations on the national stage. But none of that seems to matter in his district, where he’s brought home close to $1 billion in earmarks and other funding and won every election since 1995 in a landslide, despite nagging ethical questions over links to imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The dual roles could help explain why the Democrat has given so few details of his medical leave. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)


By JASON KEYSER, Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — The announcement that Jesse Jackson Jr. had been transferred to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota pinned down his whereabouts for the first time in weeks and gave clear confirmation that the Illinois congressman is suffering from depression.

It also was the first mention that he's now being treated for a "gastrointestinal issue," which some experts said Saturday was a sign his condition is becoming more complicated.

The Chicago Democrat and son of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has been on a secretive leave of absence for nearly seven weeks, during which his office has released only occasional snippets of information, including that he was undergoing treatment for a "mood disorder" at an undisclosed inpatient facility.

A new, three-sentence written statement from the congressman was distributed by the Mayo Clinic late Friday during the national broadcast of the Olympics' opening ceremony, when public attention was more likely fixed half a world away.

As in the past, the statement gave scant detail, an apparent ongoing strategy in the face of pressure from congressional colleagues and constituents clamoring for an in-depth explanation.

It said he had been transferred to the Mayo Clinic for "extensive inpatient evaluation for depression and gastrointestinal issues," but gave no information on the nature of his depression, where Jackson was being treated prior to arriving at the Mayo Clinic or his progress.

The clinic said Saturday it could not release anything further.

Mention of a gastrointestinal problem raised new questions — whether it's linked to the depression, entirely unrelated or a complication from a 2004 procedure he underwent to help him lose weight.

"Certainly some people do, as part of their depression or anxiety disorder, manifest it with gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea," said Matthew Lilly, a psychiatrist in Rochester, Minn., who did a yearlong fellowship at Mayo in 2010 before going into private practice.

"But for them to even comment on that would, to me, sound as if it's a significant issue and not just a mild symptom associated with his illness," he said.

The Mayo Clinic has a highly rated gastrointestinal department as well as a free-standing inpatient psychiatric unit, said John Anderson of the Associates in Psychiatry and Psychology in southeastern Minnesota.

He said people receiving psychiatric care are often transferred to the clinic when a physical illness develops since both can be treated there.

"Mayo does an excellent job in terms of combining those, so they can treat what's essentially a dual diagnosis," Anderson said.

Phone messages left Saturday for Jackson's spokesman weren't immediately returned.

There was no word Saturday on how long Jackson might remain at the Mayo Clinic.

Typically, Mayo will keep someone as a psychiatric inpatient anywhere from several days to several weeks, Lilly said, though he added the use of the phrase "extensive inpatient evaluation" suggested to him it could be longer for Jackson.

"That would be pretty unusual for someone to stay as an inpatient more than a couple of weeks unless there were some pretty complicated issues going on," Lilly said.

The Mayo Clinic has treated other high-profile figures, including Saudi King Abdullah, and has a reputation for top-level security and strict patient privacy, which is evidently important to the congressman and those around him.

Clinic spokesman Ginger Plumbo said it released the brief statement only because Jackson's staff requested it.

"We would never just release information about any patient without their request or consent," Plumbo said.

The timing of Jackson's medical leave has raised questions, in part because Jackson is facing an ethics investigation in the U.S. House connected to imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The congressman went on leave June 10, but his office didn't disclose it until weeks later. Initially, his office said Jackson was being treated for exhaustion. Since then, the office has said his condition was more serious and required inpatient medical treatment.

Earlier this month, a statement from an unidentified doctor said Jackson was receiving intensive medical treatment at a residential treatment facility for "a mood disorder."

The House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations that Jackson was involved in discussions about raising money for Blagojevich's campaign in exchange for the then-governor appointing him to President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat.

Jackson was not charged and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

As Massachusetts state Senator, Scott Brown reached across party lines on some issues, towed Republican line on others

$
0
0

Brown worked closely with Democrats in the state legislature on veterans issues and child protection issues; at the same time, he was a conservative voice on tax and social issues.

110809_scott_brown_senate_debate_amherst.JPGThe Republican file photo | Then-State Sen. Scott Brown responds to a question at a forum in Amherst, while he was running for Edward Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat in November 2009.

BOSTON — In 2005, when the Massachusetts Legislature was considering a bill allowing embryonic stem cell research, Democratic Senate President Robert Travaglini received a visit from rookie Republican state senator Scott Brown.

“He initiated a visit in my office, and offered his support in return for some minor modification, the inclusion of an amendment he felt strongly about,” Travaglini recalled. “He brought on some Republican votes that were instrumental in overriding some vetoes of the administration.”

Brown’s campaign said Brown got language included in the bill establishing a umbilical cord blood and placental tissue bank at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center – cord blood being a source of adult stem cells that does not require living embryos.

Then-Republican Gov. Mitt Romney – now the Republican presidential nominee – vetoed the bill. Romney, according to Boston Globe accounts, supported the use of embryos that would be discarded anyway, but opposed the use of embryos produced for research. The Senate, by a 35-2 vote, and the House, 112-42, overrode the veto.

The vote in some ways was an exception for Brown, who frequently supported Romney and who generally maintained conservative views on social issues, as well as on tax-related fiscal issues. But it points to Brown’s ability to reach across party lines to get things accomplished in a state Senate with a tiny Republican minority. Brown’s bipartisanship is something he talks about frequently on the campaign trail as he runs for reelection to the U.S. Senate against Democrat Elizabeth Warren. Democratic and Republican state legislators say unlike in the U.S. Congress, bipartisanship is a requirement for a Republican member of the Massachusetts Senate. Brown frequently worked with Democrats on issues he was passionate about – assistance for veterans, protection for children and victims of sexual abuse and funding of a program allowing inner-city students to be educated at suburban schools.

“Scott was someone who occasionally went out of his way to be helpful,” said Travaglini, who has not endorsed in the U.S. Senate race. “There were instances where Scott and others realized they weren’t a very formidable force in the body at the time, and he did demonstrate on more than one occasion a willingness to cooperate with the majority of Democrats in the body when it benefited the citizens of the Commonwealth.”

Brown declined to comment for this story.

Republicans accounted for four to six of the 40 senators during Brown’s time there, from 2004 to 2010 – a group that called themselves the “band of brothers,” said Westfield Republican Sen. Michael Knapik.

As a National Guard member, many of Brown’s initiatives were to help veterans. Bills he sponsored would have eased the trade licensing process for veterans; expanded the definition of veteran to eliminate a requirement for wartime service; given additional retirement benefits to public employees who are veterans; and given certain tax benefits to veterans. He championed a bipartisan bill – which became law – putting a check box on income tax forms that made it easier for returning veterans to claim a $500 to $1,000 “welcome home bonus” they were entitled to under state law.

120909 scott brown campaigns in holyoke.JPG12.09.2009 | The Republican file photo by Don Treeger | Holyoke -- State Sen. Scott P. Brown, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, takes a tour of the Universal Plastics facility on Whiting Farms Road in Holyoke. Left to right are State Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, Universal Plastics President Joseph L. Peters and Brown.

Brown served on a bipartisan panel that recommended an expansion of veteran and military benefits – tuition breaks, trade license extensions, and changes in unemployment benefits and property tax rules, the State House News Service reported.

“He volunteered to be on this committee,” said Thomas Kelley, then-secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services and a Brown supporter. “That gave him an opportunity to keep a close eye on veterans’ issues, to push hard for them. That was a very personal thing.” Kelley said Brown worked with Romney to get signed into law a Welcome Home bill providing benefits for returning veterans; an expansion of the definition of veterans; and annual budgetary provisions helping veterans.

“He was the only active military person in the state Senate at the time, so people looked to him for leadership on that issue,” said Hampden Superior Court Clerk Brian Lees, a former Republican Senate Minority leader.

Another personal issue for Brown was sexual abuse of children. In his 2011 book, Brown revealed that he was sexually molested as a child by a camp counselor.

In the state Senate, Brown filed a bill with then-Rep. James Vallee, a Franklin Democrat who chaired the Criminal Justice Committee, and worked with lawmakers of both parties to eliminate the statute of limitations on criminal prosecutions for sexual assault and child sexual abuse cases. Another bill Vallee, Brown and others worked on tried to tighten requirements for monitoring sex offenders. Brown filed bills allowing minor victims to request copies of sealed records relating to their sexual abuse cases; and eliminating some protection from liability for charitable organizations implicated in child sexual abuse cases. He advocated for “Jessica’s law,” a bill imposing mandatory sentences for sex crimes against children.

The State House News Service reported in 2006 that Brown and Walpole Democratic Sen. James Timilty took the unusual step of asking the Senate to reconvene after ending its formal session to act on a bill extending from 15 to 27 years the reporting period for victims of underage sexual abuse, requiring more sex offenders to wear tracking devices, adding penalties for sex offenders who fail to register and tightening other laws. A similar bill was signed into law, and Brown was among the bipartisan group of lawmakers who attended the bill-signing.

Timilty, who has known Brown since the 1990s and is neutral in the Senate race, said Brown was a “no-nonsense, good government kind of guy.” Timilty, who chaired the public safety committee, said Brown worked with him on issues such as overhauling the state’s 911 system and getting defibrillators put on MBTA trains. “He wasn’t partisan at all,” Timilty said.

Vallee, a close friend of Brown’s who served with him in the National Guard and supports his Senate campaign, said he recalls working with Brown on bills related to curbing drunk driving and other criminal justice laws. “He’s an easy guy to build consensus with,” Vallee said.

Brown was also a strong advocate for increased funding for METCO (Metropolitan Council For Educational Opportunity), a program that sends students from urban neighborhoods to suburban schools.

On the other hand, on tax and fiscal issues, Brown was generally a loyal Republican. Among the bills Brown sponsored were bills repealing a nursing home tax; limiting the frequency with which local communities could override proposition 2 ½, the Massachusetts law limiting property tax increases; and lowering the income tax rate from 5.3 percent to 5 percent. Brown supported Romney’s attempts to abolish a retroactive capital gains tax in 2005, and joined Republicans in opposing a package of tax increases during a debate over the 2010 budget. Chip Faulkner, associate director of Citizens for Limited Taxation, an anti-tax group that typically favors Republicans, said Brown had a 93 percent rating with the group during his last full term in office.

090410 richard tisei.JPGRichard Tisei

“On the big issues that came up as far as spending, taxes, reforming state government, Scott was a very vocal and active participant in the state Senate,” said former Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei, a Republican now running for Congress. “When we were fighting against [Democratic] Gov. [Deval] Patrick’s sales tax increase and other tax increases that were brought up, Scott was very active and adamant in leading the fight against it.”

Brown often voted with the minority to sustain Romney’s budget vetoes, sometimes on items as small as a $100,000 line item for drinking water programs. The non-partisan Politifact found that Brown voted with the state Senate minority leader 90 percent of the time.

Knapik said Brown joined Republicans on fiscal issues in the role “of challenging the status quo.”

Brown also voted with Romney in favor of Romney’s 2006 landmark health care reform bill. When Romney vetoed a penalty assessment on companies that do not contribute to employees’ health insurance and a provision restoring dental benefits for adults on Medicaid, Brown joined with all six Senate Republicans voting against the penalty assessment override, and was one of just two votes opposing an override on dental benefits.

Brown also generally took a conservative position on social issues. “He was on the more conservative end of the spectrum here among the Republicans in the Senate,” said Amherst Democrat Stanley Rosenberg, Senate president pro tempore and a Warren supporter.

Brown voted for a 2004 constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. In 2007, he was one of five senators to favor putting a gay marriage ban on the ballot. When Romney vetoed the creation of an independent Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, Brown was the only senator voting to uphold his veto. Brown was one of two senators voting to uphold a Romney veto on a provision setting aside money to ensure schools are complying with Department of Education recommendations supporting gay youth. (Romney said that was an executive, not a legislative function.)

After Massachusetts voters voted to decriminalize possession of small amount of marijuana, Brown tried to impose a $1,000 fine and a license suspension on anyone caught with marijuana in a car. With other Republicans, Brown sponsored a 2005 bill requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls.

012302 steve baddour.JPGSteve Baddour

It can be difficult to analyze the effectiveness of a member of the minority party. According to a legislative database, only two of approximately 160 bills for which Brown was the prime sponsor were signed into law, both on minor, local matters. But frequently, Republican proposals that become law in Massachusetts do so only after being attached to a Democratic bill. Former Sen. Steven Baddour, a Democrat who is neutral in the Senate race and is now a partner at the law firm McDermott Will & Emery, said Brown would often work behind the scenes trying to “get the bill to be more middle of the road, as opposed to leaning left or leaning right,” to make a bill palatable to Republicans in a way Democrats would agree to.

Overall, Brown had a reputation as a collegial senator. “He was not a fire breather. He more or less got along with the general population,” said Fred Bayles, director of the Boston University College of Communication’s State House Program. Bayles said in Brown’s record, there was “nothing that stood out as either extremely partisan or extremely bipartisan. He fit in to the rest of the very small Senate minority.”

Lees said Brown was “always willing to listen, learn and work with everyone, whether it be Republicans or Democrats or individuals from the outside.”

Rosenberg said bipartisanship was inevitable. “When a very small number of people are in the minority party, it’s hard to build up much of a track record,” Rosenberg said. “The only way you get anything done is by reaching across party lines.”

Staff reporter Dan Ring contributed to this story.

Hundreds gather in Connecticut to celebrate the birth of a rare white bison

$
0
0

Many Native Americans consider white bison a symbol of hope and unity; some consider their births sacred events.

White BisonA white bison calf drinks water at the Mohawk Bison farm in Goshen, Conn., on Wednesday, July 18, 2012. Hundreds of people, including tribal elders from South Dakota, are expected to attend naming ceremonies later this month at the Goshen farm where the animal was born on June 16. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

GOSHEN, Conn. (AP) — Dozens of Native Americans wore the traditional garb of their ancestors, sang songs and beat drums on a western Connecticut farm Saturday in celebration of the birth of one of the world's rarest animals — a white bison.

The miracle calf was officially named Yellow Medicine Dancing Boy at the elaborate ceremony at the Mohawk Bison farm in Goshen in the state's northwestern hills. It was born June 16 at the farm of fourth-generation farmer Peter Fay.

Many Native Americans consider white bison a symbol of hope and unity; some consider their births sacred events. Experts say white bison are as rare as one in 10 million.

Yellow Medicine Dancing Boy is not an albino, and Fay said DNA testing confirmed the animal's bloodlines are pure and there was no intermingling with cattle.

Lakota tribe members from South Dakota were among the hundreds of people who gathered at the celebration. Other tribal elders from the Mohawk, Seneca and Cayuga tribes participated.

Crowds patiently waited by the roadside before slowly marching into the pasture and lining up alongside a fence as the ceremony began. Children squeezed up against their parents and peered through the fence.

Some women were dressed in colorful tunics and other items indigenous to Native American culture, including bracelets, feathers and boots. Men also wore traditional costumes. Those leading the ceremony wore plain and small headdresses.

Fay, 53, runs the farm below Mohawk Mountain and invited Native Americans to the event, which also included a feast and talks by tribe elders.

"I'm almost like the calf to them because I'm the caregiver. They've been here almost every day, teaching me," said Fay, who has a herd of bison tattooed on his right shoulder.

Peter FayPeter Fay shows off one of his bison tattoos at his Mohawk Bison farm in Goshen, Conn., on Wednesday, July 18, 2012. Hundreds of people, including tribal elders from South Dakota, are expected to attend naming ceremonies later this month at the Goshen farm where the animal was born on June 16. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Fay attended a sweat lodge ceremony with the elders on Friday night in Cornwall. The nearly two-hour ceremony was a way to repair damage done to their spirits, minds and bodies. It acted as a prayer for a name for the calf to come to them through the spirits.

Saturday's ceremony was held under an arbor next to a large fire, amid thunder and large dark rain clouds. Marian and Chubb White Mouse, members of the Oglala Lakota tribe in South Dakota, traveled to Goshen from Wanblee, S.D., to lead the ceremony.

Marian White Mouse told the crowd the birth of a white bison is a sign from a prophet, the White Buffalo Calf Woman, who helped them endure times of strife and famine.

"We come with one prayer, one heart and one mind," she said tearfully. "This is truly a miracle. I hope that this one prayer will keep my people together, keep all of us together."

Barbara Threecrow, an elder from the Naticoke tribe who lives in Hudson Valley, N.Y., sat holding a sacred Canupa of beaver skin containing a pipe.

"I believe this is an awakening," Threecrow said. "This is a way of telling people to remember the sacredness of all of life."


Massachusetts dad Daryl Benway shoots children, commits suicide, district attorney says

$
0
0

A man who had recently separated from his wife shot his two children, killing his 7-year-old daughter, before committing suicide, prosecutors said.

OXFORD, Mass. (AP) — A man who had recently separated from his wife shot his two children, killing his 7-year-old daughter, before committing suicide, prosecutors said.

A family member called Oxford police Saturday night after finding the bodies of 41-year-old Daryl Benway and his daughter, Abigail, in the master bedroom of their two-story Oxford home, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said. Benway's 9-year-old son, Owen, was found shot in the head in the kitchen and was taken to UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center in serious condition.

Benway's wife, Kelleen, returned home after the shootings, unaware of what had happened, and found a swarm of police cruisers and television crews, Early said. She was taken to the children's hospital, where authorities told her the fates of her children and husband.

Neighbors told the Telegram & Gazette that Daryl Benway's brother Shawn lived on the first floor of the home with his wife and mother. Shawn Benway called 911 to report the shootings, Early said.

Daryl and Kelleen Benway separated three or four weeks ago but were still married, Early said. He said he couldn't speculate on a motive.

No restraining orders had been filed against Daryl Benway, and he had no criminal record, the DA said. He had a gun license that expired in 1999, Early said.

"It doesn't get much worse than this," Early said. "It's a horrible scene, a horrible situation."

On Daryl Benway's Facebook page, his profile picture posted December 2011 showed him with his family in front of a Christmas tree. He described the woman next to him as "my Beautiful wife Kelleen." Owen stood in front of him in a white dress shirt and red plaid tie, while brown-haired Abigail wore a black and white dress with a black hair bow.

Daryl Benway listed his place of employment as TJX Cos., which operates discount retailers TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, as well as Ross Stores Inc.

Sue Brennan, who lives behind the Benways, said Daryl Benway always seemed easy-going.

"He's the most happy-go-lucky guy I know. I just don't see him doing that," Brennan, 47, told the Boston Globe.

Michael Courtemanche, of Webster, said he grew up with Benway and although he hadn't spoken to him much over the past 10 years, he saw him just three days ago.

"They were excellent, a good family," Courtemanche, 40, told the newspaper. "Just like any other family, they had problems. But Daryl was always friendly, always in a good mood."

AM News Links: Springfield man expected to recover after being shot three times, new Apple ads criticized for poorly portraying Mac users, and more

$
0
0

The ads debuted during the Olympics, and are intended to highlight the excellent customer service provided by the employees of the Apple Genius bar.

NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.

A few showers and t'storms today, high 82

$
0
0

Scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms again today.

Gallery previewA few scattered showers and thunderstorms will bother the region again on Sunday ... although not quite the widespread downpour through the middle of the day like yesterday. A stationary frontal system just off the coast to our south will be responsible for the chance of rain again today. The humidity levels also stay rather high with dewpoints hitting 70 degrees at times and high temperatures in the lower-80s.

We may catch a break in the action tonight and into early Monday ... but an isolated shower or thunderstorms will be back in town again late tomorrow afternoon. A little more sunshine will be in the mix tomorrow, but don't expect too much sunshine overall for the week ahead.

Late-day scattered showers and thunderstorms will dominate a majority of the workweek. It is not expected to be a total washout all week long, but a large upper-level trough over the northeast will keep us on our toes for those pop-up thunderstorms all the way through the workweek. Temperatures continue to stay seasonal (low-to-mid 80s), but the humidity stays a little bit elevated for a while as well.

Today: A few showers, partly sunny, a little humid, high 82.

Tonight: Variable clouds, mild and muggy, low 64.

Monday: Partly cloudy, an isolated afternoon shower, muggy, high 83.

Tuesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, muggy, high 82.

Adviser: Romney would back strike against Iran

$
0
0

Romney has said he has a "zero tolerance" policy toward Iran obtaining the capability to build a nuclear weapon.

Mitt Romney, Benjamin NetanyahuIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, left meet at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, Sunday, July 29, 2012. Romney would back an Israeli military strike against Iran aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear capability, a top foreign policy adviser said early Sunday, outlining the aggressive posture the Republican presidential candidate will take toward Iran in a speech in Israel later in the day. (AP Photo/Lior Mizrahi, Pool)

JERUSALEM — Mitt Romney would back an Israeli military strike against Iran aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear capability, a top foreign policy adviser said Sunday, outlining the aggressive posture the Republican presidential candidate will take toward Iran in a speech in Israel later in the day.

Romney has said he has a "zero tolerance" policy toward Iran obtaining the capability to build a nuclear weapon.

"If Israel has to take action on its own, in order to stop Iran from developing the capability, the governor would respect that decision," foreign policy adviser Dan Senor told reporters ahead of the speech, planned for late Sunday near Jerusalem's Old City.

Romney believes the option of a U.S. attack should also be "on the table." He has said he will do "the opposite" of what U.S. President Barack Obama would do in his approach to Israel.

The Obama administration hasn't ruled out the military option, but Obama has so far been relying on sanctions and diplomatic negotiations to discourage Iran from building a nuclear bomb.

For its part, Iran says it is not interested in nuclear weapons and its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes.

The Israelis are considering a strike because they fear Iran could be moving its nuclear enrichment sites further underground, out of reach of the weapons Israel has available.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday welcomed Romney as "a representative of the United States" and told the Republican presidential candidate he agrees with his approach to the threat of a nuclear Iran.

Netanyahu said he listened to Romney's speech in Reno, Nev., where the likely GOP nominee said that Iran possessing nuclear capability is the greatest danger facing the world.

"Mitt, I couldn't agree with you more," Netanyahu told Romney.

"We have to be honest and say that all the sanctions and diplomacy so far have not set back the Iranian program by one iota. And that's why I believe that we need a strong and credible military threat coupled with the sanctions to have a chance to change that situation," Netanyahu said.

An Israeli newspaper reported Sunday that the Obama administration's top security official briefed Netanyahu earlier this month on U.S. plans for a possible attack on Iran.

According to the Haaretz daily, National Security Adviser Tom Donilon sought to reassure Israel that Washington is prepared to act militarily should diplomacy and sanctions fail to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear enrichment program.

A senior Israeli government official, however, denied the report, saying "Nothing in the article is correct."

Iran's nuclear program has become the most pressing problem for the U.S. and Israel and Republicans have consistently criticized Obama for putting too much pressure on Israel in the peace process and being too weak on Iran.

Obama rejects the criticism, and his aides point to what they call unprecedented U.S.-Israeli security cooperation.

Senor was previewing the speech Romney plans in Jerusalem after he spends the day meeting with Israeli officials.

"Make no mistake: the ayatollahs in Tehran are testing our moral defenses. They want to know who will object, and who will look the other way." Romney says in an excerpt of his speech provided to reporters. "My message to the people of Israel and the leaders of Iran is one and the same: I will not look away; and neither will my country."

Over the course of the day, Romney will confront some of the world's most difficult peace and security challenges as he looks to demonstrate to Jewish and evangelical voters back home that he's a better friend to Israel than Obama.

Romney faces high stakes as he begins his talks with top Israeli officials and meets with the Palestinian prime minister. Mindful of polls back home that show a tight presidential contest, the former one-term Massachusetts governor is looking to burnish his foreign policy credentials and prove his mettle as a possible commander in chief.

The trip is a chance for Romney to draw implicit contrasts with Obama and demonstrate how he would lead America on the world stage.

But Romney arrived in Jerusalem Saturday night after a difficult few days in Britain, where he made the mistake of criticizing the country's Olympic Games and raised the hackles of his hosts. The gaffe undermined the stated goal of his weeklong journey through Britain, Israel and Poland: emphasizing America's ties with longstanding allies.

"In a time of turmoil and peril in Israel's neighborhood, it is important that the security of America's commitments to Israel will be as clear as humanly possible. When Israel feels less secure in the neighborhood, it should feel more secure of the commitment of the United States to its defense," Romney said in a Friday interview with the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Romney has pledged not to criticize Obama while on foreign soil, honoring longstanding American tradition of leaving politics at the water's edge. But his aide's announcement of Romney's willingness to express support for an Israeli strike while in Jerusalem represents an effort to contrast the two presidential opponents.

In addition to Netanyahu, Romney met with other Israeli officials and will also sit down with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Romney planned to spend the evening dining at Netanyahu's home — the Israeli leader invited Romney and his wife to break the fast for the Jewish holiday Tisha B'Av. The holy day, celebrated Sunday, commemorates the destruction of two temples in Jerusalem.

Romney and Netanyahu have known each other since both were young businessmen at Boston Consulting Group in the 1970s.

On Monday, Romney plans a fundraiser with top American supporters in Israel, some guests have flown in from the U.S. specifically for the event. His campaign has barred reporters from covering his comments to the 50 or so wealthy backers who will gather at the luxurious King David Hotel — all of whom will have donated $50,000 or raised at least $100,000.

Keeping the remarks private is a change from how Romney handles fundraisers in the United States, where a group of reporters are allowed into events held in public spaces like hotels.

While Romney is left to implicit contrasts with his Democratic opponent, Obama has been focusing on Israel, signing legislation on Friday increasing military and civilian ties between the U.S. and Israel. And he authorized the release of an additional $70 million in military aid for Israel, a previously announced move that appeared timed to Romney's trip.

Obituaries today: Michael D. Zukowski, 31, of Holyoke, was hockey player and University of Vermont graduate

$
0
0

Obituaries from The Republican.

michael zukowski.jpgMichael D. Zukowski

Michael David Zukowski, 31, of Holyoke, died suddenly and unexpectedly at his home on Thursday, July 26, 2012. He was born in Holyoke on Feb. 24, 1981. He was educated in Holyoke and was a 1999 graduate of Holyoke High School. An avid hockey player, Zukowski played hockey with Tri-City Hockey League, Holyoke High School, and intramural hockey at UVM. He studied at Holyoke Community College before transferring to the University of Vermont, where he received his B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Economics in 2005. He was an avid and loyal Bruins fan, loved to play hockey and roller hockey as an adult.

Obituaries from The Republican:

Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images

<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>
<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596344.js" async> </script>