Top Local News Stories for San Antonio, Texas.

Top San Antonio Area Local News Stories

Christmas Day bomber sentenced to life in prison

The man who smuggled a bomb in his underwear aboard a commercial airliner on Christmas Day will be sentenced Thursday, months after he pleaded guilty for his role in what officials later determined was an al Qaeda plot. U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds is expected to impose a life sentence on Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, who entered the courtroom in Detroit wearing an oversized white t-shirt and a white skull cap. His hands were unshackled once he entered. He argued a life sentence would be "cruel and unusual punishment," as well as unconstitutional. The judge rejected the argument. Prosecutors brought a video showing the detonation of a replica of the device AbdulMutallab attempted to use. The judge ruled that the video will be shown during the sentencing hearing. Six passengers who were on the plane when AbdulMutallab tried to set off his bomb each have 15 minutes to read a victim impact statement. Court officers expected AbdulMutallab to also make a statement. In the sentencing report, prosecutors called now 25-year-old Nigerian "an unrepentant would-be mass murderer, who views his crimes as divinely inspired and blessed." AbdulMutallab previously pleaded not guilty to the eight charges against him, which include attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism. On December 25, 2009, passengers aboard a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam heard a loud noise on the plane as it descended toward Detroit. Witnesses described it as sounding much like a firecracker. The device failed, but AbdulMutallab became enveloped in a fireball that spread to the wall and carpeting of the plane. Four passengers quickly restrained him and helped put out the fire, the witnesses said, and he was escorted up to the first-class section of the plane and taken into custody by authorities when it landed. AbdulMutallab later acknowledged in a courtroom statement that he had traveled to Yemen and was "greatly inspired" to participate in such a plot by U.S.-born militant cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in September. U.S. officials later said the terror group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula had helped foment the failed attack. "I carried with me an explosive device to avenge the killing of innocent Muslims," AbdulMutallab said in the statement, adding that the failed plot was in retaliation for "U.S. tyranny and oppression of Muslims." The flight was carrying 289 people. The decision to try AbdulMutallab in a civilian court prompted controversy at the time, particularly among Republican lawmakers pushing for a military tribunal. He's been held at a Michigan federal prison since 2009. Prosecutors, however, said the case demonstrated the value of civilian courts. "We should not limit ourselves to military tribunals," said U.S. District Attorney Barbara McQuade. The case shows "the world that our system of justice works."

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:16:14 GMT

IRS: Beware of 'dirty dozen' tax scams

As the tax season kicks off this year, the IRS is keeping an eye out for scam artists who steal identities, lie about charitable donations and hide income in offshore accounts, among other abuses. The IRS released its annual list of "dirty dozen" tax scams on Thursday, outlining the most common ways taxpayers are cheating the system. "Scam artists will tempt people in-person, on-line and by e-mail with misleading promises about lost refunds and free money," said IRS commissioner Doug Shulman. "Don't be fooled by these scams." Here are the 12 scams to be most wary of this year: 1. Identity theft A growing number of identity thieves are using other taxpayer's personal information to file fraudulent tax returns and claim undeserved refunds, the IRS warns. In 2011, the agency stopped more than $1.4 billion in refunds from getting into the wrong hands, and it plans to weed out more identity thieves this year. If you believe someone stole your personal information for tax purposes, call the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490. 2. Phishing Scammers can steal your personal information from e-mails, phone calls, text messages or social media like your Facebook page. Some fake websites are also set up to dupe potential victims into giving out their information. If you see anything suspicious or receive a message from someone claiming to be from the IRS, don't open any attachments or click on links included in the e-mail. Instead, forward the message to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov. 3. Sketchy tax preparers With about 60% of taxpayers expected to use professionals to prepare and submit their taxes this year, be careful about who you entrust with personal information. There are many preparers out there who will take a portion of a client's refunds, charge more than they should for services and lure taxpayers to their offices by promising unattainable refunds. Federal courts have issued hundreds of injunctions ordering tax professionals engaging in these scams to stop preparing returns, and the Department of Justice has issued many complaints against preparers as well. This year, all paid preparers are required to have a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) so customers can verify that they are legitimate. Be wary if your preparer doesn't sign the return or put their PTIN on it, doesn't give you a copy of your return, promises unusually large refunds, charges a percentage of the refund amount as a fee, adds forms to the return you've never filed before, or encourages you to include false information on your return, the IRS says. 4. Hiding income offshore Taxpayers who have an offshore bank account, brokerage account, credit card or even an offshore insurance plan, are urged to come forward voluntarily in order to limit the possibility of criminal prosecution. As part of its ongoing crackdown on hidden offshore accounts, the agency announced another initiative this year that gives taxpayers a reduction in penalties -- and no jail time -- if they fess up to any undisclosed overseas accounts. Since starting the crackdown in 2009, about 30,000 individuals have come forward and voluntarily disclosed their offshore accounts. 5. No such thing as "Free Money" Flyers and advertisements have been showing up in community churches claiming that taxpayers can file returns with little or no documentation and receive big amounts of money, the IRS said. These ads typically target low-income individuals and the elderly and often promise non-existent Social Security refunds or rebates. Inevitably these returns get rejected by the IRS. But by the time that happens, the scam artists have already disappeared with the victims' money. The IRS warned that intentionally filing incorrect returns can result in a $5,000 penalty. 6. Inflating income and expenses Claiming income you didn't actually earn or expenses you didn't pay to boost credits and refunds is another common scheme taxpayers attempt. If the IRS catches you in the act, you could end up repaying the extra money you claimed, along with interest and penalties -- and, in some cases, you could even be subject to prosecution. 7. Filing false forms Some scam artists are filing fraudulent forms with their returns that contain fabricated information in order to get fatter refunds. "Don't fall prey to people who encourage you to claim deductions or credits to which you are not entitled or willingly allow others to use your information to file false returns," the IRS said. "If you are a party to such schemes, you could be liable for financial penalties or even face criminal prosecution." 8. Picking a bone with the IRS There are even people who charge money in exchange for advice on how to argue with the IRS in order to avoid paying taxes. The agency has a list of legal positions that have been "thrown out of court" and cannot be used against the IRS, including the argument that filing a tax return is voluntary and that the IRS must prepare a return for anyone who fails to file. So pick your fights carefully this tax season. 9. Falsely claiming zero wages In an attempt to lower the amount of taxes they owe, some taxpayers file phony wage-related information returns instead of the required returns. This is typically done by filing Form 4852 (a substitute W-2 form) or a "corrected" Form 1099 to fraudulently lower a person's taxable income to zero. 10. Exaggerating charitable donations It can be tempting to overvalue the items you give to charity when reporting them on a return -- especially for non-cash donations such as furniture or artwork -- but the IRS is keeping an eye out for suspiciously high-valued donations this year. The agency is also looking out for taxpayers who abuse charitable deductions by temporarily donating money or items to tax-exempt organizations, just to shield the money from getting taxed. 11. Disguising corporate ownership It's time to fess up to that business you own. The IRS is currently working with state authorities to identify corporations and other entities that are hiding ownership of a business. Often these businesses are hidden because the true owner uses a third party with its own employer identification number, whose businesses or financial services can be used for the underreporting of income, fictitious deductions, money laundering, financial crimes and even terrorist financing. 12. Misuse of trusts Beware of anyone that tries to convince you to transfer money into a trust in order to reduce your taxable income, deductions for personal expenses and/or estate taxes. The IRS has seen an increase in the number of taxpayers improperly using trusts -- especially private annuity trusts and foreign trusts -- to skip out on tax liabilities. "While there are legitimate uses of trusts in tax and estate planning, some highly questionable transactions promise reduction of income subject to tax, deductions for personal expenses and reduced estate or gift taxes," the IRS said. "Such trusts rarely deliver the tax benefits promised and are used primarily as a means of avoiding income tax liability and hiding assets from creditors, including the IRS."

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:01:03 GMT

Accusations emerge as Honduran prison fatalities rise

The death toll from a prison fire in central Honduras rose to 382 Thursday, as new narratives emerged about what happened that night in the overcrowded facility. In the aftermath of the blaze, the government was focusing on recovering and transporting bodies from the prison in Comayagua to the capital, Tegucigalpa. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and the federal government has asked for patience as it investigates. But desperate families want to recover the remains of their loved ones. "What we are hoping for is that they give them to us so we can leave because we cannot stand the hunger, too," said Francisca Gomez, the sister of one of the victims. "We have our children with us and you know that we've been here waiting and no one gives us answers." "Like all the other mothers we are here for justice and ask that they be conscientious and give us our sons to see what we can do," said Maria Avila, the mother of another victim. The Comayagua fire department gave the new death toll, and said that it remained unknown if others escaped or would be added to the casualty list. The hypothesis that a mattress fire started the fire is gaining traction, fire operations chief Jorge Turcios said. The fire started Tuesday night in Unit 6 of the prison, and affected five of the facility's 10 units, he said. Arson experts from the United States were expected to arrive Thursday to lend a hand, Turcios added. Authorities have not determined what caused the fire, but the nation's electric utility will review wiring in all prison facilities as a "preventative measure," Honduran President Porfirio Lobo said, "because that can be one of the causes of these types of disasters." However, the governor of Comayagua said she received a call from an inmate inside the prison reporting the fire. "What I know, according to what I've been told, is that someone lit a mattress on fire and said, 'We're all going to die,'" Gov. Paola Castro said. Inmates have also complained that guards were slow to open doors for them to escape. One survivor said prisoners were breaking out of the facility any way they could. "The authorities should have opened the gates," said Odalis Aleyda Najera, a relative of a victim. "It is preferable to face the responsibility for a mass escape of prisoners and avoid situations like this where there are more than 300 dead inmates." Outrage over the fire increased after the president of the country's supreme court admitted that only 40% of the inmates in the prison had been convicted. The majority were awaiting trial or waiting for charges to be filed against them. It was the third fatal prison fire in recent years in the country. In 2003, 61 prisoners were killed in a fire at a prison in La Ceiba. In 2004, 107 died in a fire at a San Pedro Sula prison. The U.S. State Department published a report last April criticizing conditions at Honduras' 24 prisons. Prisoners "suffered from severe overcrowding, malnutrition, and lack of adequate sanitation," the report said, citing human rights groups.

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:26:57 GMT

Deaths mount in Syria as General Assembly meets

Syrian security forces resumed their fierce shelling of opposition targets in Homs Thursday but appeared to be losing their tight grip in the northern region. Government troops were stretched thin in their effort to control all fronts in the volatile country, while violence raged in the grass-roots anti-government uprising. The revolt has now entered its 12th month and the U.N. General Assembly prepared to take up a symbolic resolution condemning President Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown. Syrian forces shelled the flashpoint city of Homs for a 13th straight day Thursday, targeting the opposition stronghold neighborhoods of Baba Amr, Inshaat and Khalidiya, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition activist group. Heavy sustained bombardment that commenced around 5 a.m., and dozens of injuries were reported. As evening came on Thursday night, the artillery shelling on the neighborhoods of Inshaat and Baba Amr was intensified. Regime forces also shelled the northern neighborhood of Qosair, a city in Homs. In Idlib province in the northwest, people appear to be preparing for the possibility of a military offensive. Much of the region is in open revolt with villages and towns in the north out of government control for months. At least 70 people died across several provinces Thursday, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, the opposition activist group. They include 38 in Idlib, 12 in Hama, and others in Rif Damashq -- the Damascus suburbs, Homs, Daraa , Deir Ezzor and Raqqah. The LCC said they include 36 unidentified bodies, 13 soldiers, three women and two pre-term infants. Col. Malek Al Kurdi, deputy head of the Free Syrian Army, reported shelling by government forces in Hama and Daraa province. He cited civilian and FSA casualties. Among the dead are 10 military defectors in Hama, activists say. In Idlib, the bodies of 19 people who tried to flee to Turkey were found. The LCC said they were arrested and executed by security forces. The LCC also said security forces and pro-government militias attacked mourners at a funeral in Damascus. Security forces raided homes in the city of Zabadani, outside Damascus, and arrested more than 250 people. Shops were looted, houses were burned and regime gunfire rang out in the city, in its 20th day without access to medicine, water or electricity, the LCC said. The LCC said a father and son died in Zabadani after regime forces burned their home. CNN cannot independently confirm opposition and government reports of violence because the Syrian government has severely restricted the access of international journalists. Arrests in central Damascus on Thursday targeted local journalists. The regime's security forces, backed by armed operatives, raided the office of activist and journalist Mazen Darwish, the director of the Syrian Center for Media and Free Expression, the LCC said. Darwish, his wife, U.S.-born blogger Razan Ghazzawi and freelance journalist Hanada Zahlout, blogger Hussein Ghreir and 10 others were arrested. The Committee to Protect Journalists voiced alarm at the arrests and said the group has played a "key role in getting out information about daily developments in Syria, as foreign journalists are virtually banned from the country." "These arrests are a blatant attempt to close off a vital source of information not only for Syrians but for the international media," said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "Anyone, whether a professional journalist or citizen with a mobile phone, who dares to report on the unrest in Syria is in danger of arrest or physical violence. Damascus should immediately release all those detained and stop its brutal crackdown." The uprising in Syria -- influenced by the Arab Spring movement that forced regime change in Egypt and Tunisia -- was sparked about a year ago in the southern city of Daraa with demonstrators angered by the arrests of young people who scrawled anti-government graffiti. Their grievances and calls for reforms were met with a violent security crackdown, and the unrest there served to catalyze anti-government ferment across the nation. Thousands have died in the crackdown -- well over 5,000, according to the United Nations, but the LCC puts the toll at well over 7,000. Syria's actions have been strongly denounced around the world. But international powers have backed the Arab League's efforts to deal with the uprising and some countries and groups, such as the Arab League, Turkey, the United States and the European Union, have initiated sanctions against al-Assad's government. But they have not been able to agree on strong action at the United Nations to rein in what is a non-stop government's onslaught. James Clapper, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said Syria's president will not leave or change course, short of a coup. Clapper testified Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, saying the regime, despite economic problems, continues to have the support of the military. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that he "is now considering all the necessary options once either the General Assembly or the Security Council takes a decision on Syria." He met Thursday with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe. Ban said the top priority was to stop the violence and establish humanitarian access. He said all relevant U.N. agencies were coordinating efforts to provide humanitarian help to the people of Syria. This afternoon, the U.N. General Assembly is scheduled to consider a resolution after China and Russia blocked the Security Council from approving enforceable measures aimed at curbing the violence. The anticipated vote follows news that al-Assad has moved up a vote on a constitutional referendum touted by his government as an important reform initiative, a move critics say is nothing more than window dressing. That vote is set for February 26. While a resolution adopted by the 193-member nation General Assembly would not be binding, it would mark the strongest U.N. statement to date condemning al-Assad's regime. The draft resolution calls on Syria to end human rights violations and attacks against civilians immediately. It condemns all violence "irrespective of where it comes from" and "calls on all parties," including "armed groups," to halt violence. Along with urging the government to cease violence, the resolution calls on it to protect the population, release prisoners "detained arbitrarily" during recent events, withdraw security personnel from cities and towns to barracks, and "guarantee the freedom of peaceful demonstration." It also calls for an "inclusive" and violence-free "Syrian led political process." For nearly a year, al-Assad has denied reports that his forces are indiscriminately targeting civilians, saying they were fighting armed gangs and foreign fighters bent on destabilizing the government. But the vast majority of accounts from within the country say that Syrian forces are slaughtering civilians as part of a crackdown on anti-government opposition calling for al-Assad's ouster. It is unclear what, if any, effect a resolution would have on what many world leaders see as a relentless campaign by al-Assad's forces to stamp out opposition. The General Assembly's anticipated vote follows news that France is bringing another resolution before the U.N. Security Council. "We are currently renegotiating a resolution at the U.N Security Council to see if we can persuade the Russians," Juppe told radio station France Info Wednesday. Russia is seen as the linchpin in winning passage of a resolution that could force change in Syria because it could open al-Assad's regime up to U.N. sanctions as well as expose the president and his inner circle to possible prosecution by the International Criminal Court. Syria is not a signatory of the Rome Statute that established the ICC's authority. The Security Council is on the only world body that can refer crimes against humanity to the international court. Russia, a Soviet-era ally with trade and arms ties to Syria, has been adamantly opposed to a resolution that calls for al-Assad to step down, saying it amounts to a mandate for regime change. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated Moscow may be open to supporting a Security Council resolution that stipulates -- under certain conditions -- that peacekeepers could be deployed to Syria. "If the issue is about stopping gunfire, everything is possible," Lavrov said at joint a news conference with his Dutch counterpart Uri Rosenthal, according to state-run RIA-Novosti news agency. Russia has given mixed messages as to whether it would accept a U.N. arms embargo or economic sanctions, even though it has said it is concerned about the prospect of a Syrian civil war. Meanwhile, China announced Thursday that it was sending an envoy to Syria in an attempt to help defuse the crisis, according to state-run China National Radio (CNR). Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun is scheduled to travel to Syria beginning Friday for a two-day visit, CNR said. The report did not say who the minister would meet with, saying only "his detailed schedule is still in planning."

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:25:32 GMT

Man has heart attack at heart attack grill

The Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas lived up to its name this past weekend when a customer suffered cardiac arrest while eating the Triple Bypass Burger. Owner Jon Basso, who dresses as a doctor, thought the waitress was joking when she told him a man in his 40s was experiencing chest pains while consuming the signature 6,000-calorie burger Saturday, Las Vegas TV station KVVU reported. Paramedics rushed the man to the hospital, and he is now recovering. The Heart Attack Grill is no stranger to controversy, with slogans like, "Taste worth dying for!" and a house policy that allows diners weighing more than 350 pounds to eat for free, according to KVVU.

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:15:27 GMT

'Colbert Report' abruptly suspends tapings

Comedy Central has suspended production of the "Colbert Report" for at least two days without a clear explanation. The network aired a rerun Wednesday night, leading with old news about onetime presidential candidate Herman Cain. Comedy Central said another rerun would air on Thursday due to "unforeseen circumstances," but did not elaborate. Fans with tickets to Wednesday shows received a similar email that said: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have cancelled our taping for the date of your ticket reservation, February 15, 2012." “The Colbert Report” regularly airs Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central at 11:30 p.m. ET

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:05:26 GMT

Home buying: Most affordable in decades

Buying a home is now more affordable than it has been in the last 20 years. Thanks to continued declines in home prices and rock-bottom mortgage rates, the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index hit a record level of affordability. According to the index, 75.9 percent of all new and existing homes sold during the three months ended Dec. 31 could have been comfortably purchased by families earning the national median income of $64,200. That was the highest percentage recorded in the 20-year history of the index, and a sharp increase from just three months earlier when 72.9 percent of all homes sold were considered affordable. Unfortunately, being able to afford a home and actually being able to buy one are two different matters entirely. According to Barry Rutenberg, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., potential home buyers are still finding it difficult to land mortgages. "While today's report indicates that home ownership is within reach of more households than it has been for more than two decades, overly restrictive lending conditions confronting home buyers and builders remain significant obstacles to many potential home sales," he said. Those who do land a mortgage, will be able to take advantage of rates that seem to hit a new low every week. This week interest rates for 30-year loans averaged a record low of 3.87 percent, according to Freddie Mac. Youngstown, Ohio, is the most affordable major metro area in the nation to buy a home, according to the NAHB. The faded steel town, located in eastern Ohio, could be on the verge of an economic renaissance with new gas drilling techniques that could help exploit nearby gas reserves, according to the report. There, 95.1 percent of homes sold during the quarter were deemed affordable to typical local households earning the area's median family income of $54,900. The other metro areas near the top of the list included Lakeland, Fla., Modesto, Calif., Harrisburg, Pa., and Toledo, Ohio. Among small housing markets, Kokomo, Ind. had the highest housing affordability index with more than 99 percent of all homes sold there affordable to typical families. Fairbanks, Alaska, Cumberland, Md., Lima, Ohio, and Rockford, Ill., were all very affordable as well. New Yorkers could only shake their heads at the housing opportunities available outside their metro area. Just 29 percent of the homes sold in the New York metro area during the last three months of 2011 were affordable for the typical local family. That's the lowest level in the U.S. -- even though locals typically earned $67,400, roughly $3,000 more than the national median. It was New York's 15th consecutive quarter as the least affordable metro area. Nearly as expensive are housing markets in Honolulu, San Francisco, Santa Ana, Calif., and Los Angeles.

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:59:30 GMT

Snow damages Colosseum, Medieval churches in Italy

Heavy snow in recent weeks has already wreaked havoc across Europe -- now it is damaging some of the continent's most recognized historic monuments. The Colosseum in Rome has been forced to shut after small pieces of its walls crumbled away as a result of freezing temperatures. And buildings in the historic walled town of Urbino -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- are reported to be at risk of collapse under the weight of snow, following unprecedented blizzards in the area. In the Italian capital, thousands of tourists have been disappointed to discover the Colosseum, one of the city's most popular attractions, is closed to visitors, while checks are carried out to determine the extent of the damage and to help prevent further movement. Rossella Rea, archaeologist and superintendent of the Colosseum, told CNN: "Tests and evaluation of the damage is still ongoing, especially on the second level of arches." Rea said the enforced closure of the site would have a serious financial impact -- the Colosseum attracts some 7,000 visitors a day, paying 12 euros for a ticket -- but that it was necessary in the circumstances. "At the weekend, some of the tourists didn't understand why the Colosseum was closed -- for people from northern countries, the snow is not a problem. "But it's very unusual for us and it caused the detachment of dust, concrete and bricks. Little quantities but if they fall from a certain height they can be dangerous." Cristiano Brughitta, spokesman for Italy's Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, said the damage was caused by ice forming on the walls of the monument. "When the temperatures drop below zero, and there is rain and snow, it causes ice to form which, with the increase in volume, pushes the external plaster masonry and causes small pieces to fall off," he said. David Pickles, senior architect at English Heritage, told CNN such damage was an extreme version of the natural wear and tear buildings face during everyday weather. "There's a whole freeze/thaw cycle of damage to buildings where moisture gets into the stonework, into the pores of the stone, it then freezes and expands very significantly, it then breaks up the stone and then when it thaws, bits of stone will start falling off. "That's happening all the time, of course, that's one of the major decay mechanisms in historic buildings anyway, because they're largely water permeable... You can't treat stone to stop it happening." In Urbino, in the Marche region of Italy, partial collapses have been reported at the convents of San Francesco and San Bernardino, while the roof of the Church of the Capuchins outside the town center has reportedly caved in. The town's Duomo (cathedral) is also shut, because of water damage. Checks are being carried out on vulnerable buildings in the area. "Our biggest worry is the buildings in the historic center, which have wooden joists and delicate roofs," said Gabriele Cavalera, a spokesperson for the local council. According to Cavalera, residents of some private homes in the historic center are adding extra support to the old roof beams in an attempt to prevent any further cave-ins. "It's an enormous quantity of snow compared with what we normally get in winter and it's had a heavy impact, the equivalent of a flood," said Cavalera. Brughitta agreed that conditions were exceptional: "Maybe every 30 years it gets this cold, but it's very rare." A number of Italy's historic monuments, including the Colosseum and Pompeii, have suffered in recent years from damage and collapse. The Colosseum, which is scheduled to reopen to the public Thursday, is due to undergo restoration works later this year with sponsorship from luxury brand Tod's. In case of similar snowfalls in the future, Brughitta in Rome suggests using a type of cold-weather "blanket" for exposed monuments such as the nearly 2,000-year-old Colosseum. Though Pickles said such plans may be difficult, on a practical level: "For a building like the Colosseum, I should think it would cost a fortune to cover it, because we're talking about a huge wall area." And while delicate, these buildings are nonetheless tenacious when it comes to adverse weather and acts of god. After all, said Cavalera, The Ducal Palace in Urbino, which is around 500 years old and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, managed to resist collapse during the earthquakes of the 1990s and is so far holding out against the snow.

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:58:47 GMT

Feds propose limits on driving distractions

For the first time, the federal government is proposing recommendations that would encourage car manufacturers to limit the distraction risk for in-vehicle electronic devices, the Department of Transportation announced Thursday. The voluntary guidelines issued by the department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would establish specifics for electronic devices installed in vehicles at the time they are manufactured -- devices that require visual or manual operation by drivers. It could also mean drivers will not be allowed to text or dial numbers while the car is moving. "We have been on a crusade for more than three years," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in making the announcement in a conference call with reporters. He said the guidelines will "continue the drumbeat" as one of the department's top safety initiatives. More than 3,000 people died in 2010 in crashes blamed on distracted driving. The initial proposed guidelines "offer real-world guidance to automakers to help them develop electronic devices that provide features consumers want -- without disrupting a driver's attention or sacrificing safety," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. The recommendations include reducing the complexity and task length required by the device, limiting device operation to one hand (leaving the other hand on the steering wheel to control the vehicle), cutting down to no more than two seconds the individual off-road glances required for device operation and limiting unnecessary visual information in the driver's field of view. They also suggest limiting the amount of manual inputs required for device operation. The proposed department guidelines would also recommend disabling a number of in-vehicle electronic devices while the car is moving, unless the devices are being used by passengers and cannot "reasonably be accessed or seen by the driver." These various operations include visual-manual text messaging, Internet and social media browsing, 10-digit phone dialing, navigation system destination entries by address and displaying more than 30 characters of text unrelated to the driving task. NHTSA is also considering additional voluntary guidelines in the future that might address electronic devices not built into the vehicle but are brought into the vehicle such as smart phones, electronic tablets and pads and GPS. Strickland said transportation officials have met with individual automakers and while the proposed guidelines are voluntary, he "doesn't expect them to be a burden." The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a coalition of 12 car and light truck manufacturers which helped develop the nonbinding guidelines, said in a statement it will review the recommendations. "Consumers expect to have access to new technology, so integrating and adapting this technology to enable safe driving is the solution," said AAM spokeswoman Gloria Bergquist. President Barak Obama called for $330 million over six years in the 2012 federal budget for distracted driving programs to increase awareness of the problem. The public will have 60 days to comment on the first phase of the proposals, which were published in the Federal Register. There will be a series of public hearings next month in Washington, Los Angeles and Chicago to discuss the federal guidelines. Last December, the National Transportation Safety Board called for a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones and text messaging devices while driving. It would apply to hands-free as well as hand-held devices, but devices installed in the vehicle by the manufacturer would be allowed, the NTSB said. The recommendation would not affect passengers' rights to use such devices. At any given daylight moment, some 13.5 million drivers are on hand-held phones, according to a recent study by NHTSA.

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:48:20 GMT

Wis. girl kept in basement, starved, police say

Wisconsin authorities have jailed the father and stepmother of a 15-year-old girl police say was kept in a basement and starved before being found last week, Madison police said Thursday. The teenager weighed only 70 pounds when a passerby found her barefoot and in her pajamas Feb. 6, according to a Madison police report. A doctor who examined her described her as a victim of "serial child torture with prolonged exposure to definite starvation," the report states. Her weight was more than 30 pounds below the median for her age, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Investigators learned the girl was kept in the basement of her home with little food and no bathroom, the report states. The girl's 40-year-old father and 42-year-old stepmother were arrested on child neglect charges, police said. Neither the girl nor her relatives were immediately identified. When the girl was taken to a hospital, her father "provided medical explanations for her physical condition," the report states. But a hospital social worker raised doubts about his account, and investigators learned the girl had been the subject of a prior abuse claim in 2007. The girl did not back up the third-party allegation at that time, and the family did not cooperate with investigators, according to the report.

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:39:09 GMT

Mortgage delinquencies decline

The mortgage meltdown that began five years ago appears to be reversing course as the percentage of loans that fell into delinquency slowly returned to normal rates and fewer loans fell into foreclosure. On a seasonally adjusted basis, 7.58% of mortgage borrowers were late on their loan payments during the last three months of 2011, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. That was down 0.67 percentage points from 12 months earlier and 2.5 percentage points from the peak set in the first quarter of 2010. "That's a pretty substantial decline," said Mike Fratantoni, the MBA's Vice President for Single-Family Research and Policy. "We're about halfway back from the peak." The improved mortgage performance reflected continued improvements on the jobs front and in the broader economy, according to Jay Brinkmann, chief economist at the MBA. He also said the the 0.28 percentage-point decline in loans on which foreclosure actions were started during the fourth quarter is a good predictor of fewer future bank repossessions. During the quarter, foreclosure starts dropped to below 1%, a healthy decline from the 1.4% peak logged in the third quarter of 2009 and significantly closer to the long-term average of slightly under 0.5%, he said. The delinquency numbers could have been even better except for forces that kept mortgages in the default process longer. As a result of the robo-signing scandal, banks taken greater pains to make sure their paperwork is in order. That has meant that many loans have gotten stuck in the foreclosure pipeline longer, boosting delinquency rates. The delays have been especially long in states, like Florida and New York, where the courts are involved in the foreclosure process. In such judicial foreclosure states, the percentage of loans stuck in foreclosure inventory is at 6.8% and growing. Meanwhile, in non-judicial states, only 2.8% of loans are stuck in the pipeline and that percentage is shrinking. The $26 billion foreclosure settlement between major mortgage lenders and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and attorneys general from 49 states and the District of Columbia should bring greater clarity and speed to the foreclosure process. That could reduce delinquency rates substantially, according to Fratantoni, and bring them even closer to long-term, historical rates. One category that failed to show improvement during the quarter were delinquencies on mortgages insured by theFederal Housing Administration. The percentage of FHA loans that were past due rose to 12.36% from 12.09% a quarter earlier and from 12.27% 12 months earlier. Seriously delinquent FHA loans increased to 9.02% from 8.39% and 8.46%. Brinkmann attributed the increase to the fact that a much larger percentage of the FHA's loan portfolio has been issued during the past few years and those loans are now entering into the dangerous years for mortgages, the three or four years after issue when delinquency rates start to peak. Just two years, 2008 and 2009, account for 53% of the seriously delinquent loans in the FHA's portfolio. Brinkmann expects delinquency rates for loans issued during those years to continue to rise. "The key question, though, is: What did the FHA plan for? and our understanding is that the delinquency rate is below what the FHA was expecting," he said.

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:27:19 GMT

Congress reaches final payroll tax cut deal

Congressional negotiators have resolved all differences on a deal to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits while avoiding a fee cut for Medicare doctors for the rest of the year, leaving only technical issues to sort out. The deal "is a fair agreement and one that I support," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Thursday morning. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, also voiced her support, and said it appeared Congress "may be voting shortly" for the deal. Earlier in the day, Montana Sen. Max Baucus, the top Democrat on a 20-member conference committee tasked with writing the bill, called the deal "very good for the country." The panel's top Republican, Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, said he's "confident this can be concluded ... and we're moving forward." Resolving the technical issues and getting enough support from the panel is expected to take through at least Thursday. The committee includes members of the House and Senate and is equally divided between Democrats and Republicans. Once the committee approves the bill, it needs to pass both chambers of Congress before advancing to President Barack Obama to be signed into law. The roughly $100 billion payroll tax cut, a key part of Obama's economic recovery plan, has reduced how much 160 million American workers pay into Social Security on their first $110,100 in wages. Instead of paying in 6.2%, they've been paying 4.2% for the past year and two months. The break is worth about $83 a month for someone making $50,000. The agreement came together after House Republicans dropped a key demand Monday, saying they would accept the extended payroll tax cut without including spending cuts elsewhere to pay the $100 billion cost. On Wednesday, Boehner defended the decision to move forward with a payroll tax cut extension that is not paid for, arguing it was the only way to prevent a tax hike. "We were not going to allow Democrats to continue to play games and cause a tax increase for hardworking Americans," the speaker told reporters. "We made a decision to bring them to the table so that the games would stop and we would get this worked out." Boehner said he expects a vote on the measure this week. While a number of conservatives are upset that the deal will add to the deficit, some GOP House members have nevertheless said they expect the package to ultimately pass with support from a majority of Republicans as well as Democrats. "It's the art of a deal. I mean, it's a compromise," said Rep. Steve Latourette, R-Ohio. "You have people that didn't get ... 100% of what they wanted." The agreement covers all three measures -- the payroll tax cut, the unemployment benefits extension, and the so-called "doc fix" -- for the rest of 2012. The latter two measures -- costing a combined $50 billion -- will be paid for, aides said. Possible funding sources to pay for the benefit extension and the doc fix include savings from broadband spectrum sales of about $13 billion, increased pension contributions by federal employees of about $16 billion, and cuts to Medicare hospital and specialist fees that would not affect patients, according to the congressional aides. Under the terms of the deal, the maximum time an unemployed person can receive benefits will drop from 99 to 73 weeks, according to a GOP aide and a Democratic aide close to the discussions. The maximum length of time for people in states with an average unemployment rate will drop to 63 weeks. In addition, states will be allowed to perform drug tests on individuals applying for unemployment benefits if those people lost their previous job because they either failed or refused an employer's drug test, according to sources. Individuals receiving unemployment assistance could also be tested if they are seeking a job that generally requires a drug test. Also, welfare beneficiaries will be banned from accessing public assistance funds at ATMs in strip clubs, liquor stores, and casinos. The payroll tax cut, unemployment benefits and enhanced doc fix payments are currently set to expire at the end of February -- a timeline put in place through a short-term agreement reached by Congress in December. That agreement also set up the conference committee that resumed negotiations last month on a longer-term deal. Monday's decision by House GOP leaders to drop their insistence that the tax cut extension be paid for by offsetting spending cuts was a sharp turnaround for House Republicans. Top party members previously insisted that a failure to fully pay for the tax break would be financially reckless. But the debate over whether and how to extend the tax cut has been a political loser so far for the Republicans, who publicly questioned its value last year. Democrats have gleefully highlighted the GOP's reluctance, using the issue to portray Republicans as defenders of the rich who are indifferent to the plight of the middle class. Political analysts believe the showdown over the payroll holiday has eroded GOP strength on the party's core issue of lower taxes. Fearing negative repercussions, Republican leaders have now backtracked on the issue twice: dropping their opposition to the two-month extension last December and dropping their insistence on paying for a longer extension on Monday. "December was a debacle," Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said Wednesday. "We don't want to repeat that." "I think the GOP has read the writing on the wall when it comes to the payroll tax cut," said Brown University political scientist Wendy Schiller. "Americans are benefiting from it, and to take it away at this juncture leaves them open to charges of raising taxes. ... It would severely hamper the GOP presidential nominee's effort to defeat Obama." Boehner and other top House GOP leaders tried Monday to separate the payroll tax extension from provisions dealing with unemployment benefits and the doc fix, but quickly backed away from the proposal. Democrats objected loudly to the idea.

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:26:22 GMT

TCU football players among 15 students accused of drug dealing

Fifteen Texas Christian University students, including four members of its Top 25 football team, were arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of selling drugs, the school and police said. The football players include two defensive starters for last season's squad, which was No. 14 in the final Associated Press poll, plus a junior linebacker who sat out most of 2011 with an injury but was the team's leading tackler in 2010. The 15 illegally sold marijuana or other drugs, including cocaine, Ecstasy, acid and prescription medicine, to undercover officers during a six-month investigation launched after authorities received complaints about drug activity, TCU Police Chief Steve McGee told reporters Wednesday. "There is no doubt that all of those arrested today are drug dealers," said McGee, who added that the selling happened on and off the Fort Worth campus. "These individuals engaged in hand-to-hand delivery for money with undercover agents." School officials said TCU has banned the students from campus, class and school activities, pending the outcome of their cases. TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini said a vice chancellor will "determine what is going to happen to those students, following this." "What they did, to be honest, is simply unacceptable. This behavior, when reported, is never tolerated at our university," Boschini said at a news conference with McGee and other officials. An investigation by university and city police continues, and more arrests could come, Boschini said. The 15 students were among 19 people for whom arrest warrants were issued as part of the probe, Fort Worth police and TCU said late Wednesday. Eighteen of the 19 were arrested Wednesday. Earlier, the school said 17 students were arrested, but "upon further examination of student records, it appears that 15 were students this semester and four were not," TCU spokeswoman Lisa Albert said. The four football players -- junior linebacker Tanner Brock, 21; junior defensive tackle D.J. Yendrey, 20; junior safety Devin Johnson, 21; and sophomore offensive tackle Ty Horn, 21 -- were arrested on preliminary charges of delivery of marijuana. Johnson and Brock face felonies, according to arrest warrants released by the Fort Worth Police Department. Other arrestees face preliminary charges of felony or misdemeanor charges of delivery of marijuana or delivery of a controlled substance, according to Fort Worth police. The students operated in several groups, and it's not clear whether those groups were connected, a Fort Worth police officer said at the news conference. Albert said the students' ban from class and activities will remain until the cases are adjudicated. After the judicial process determines whether they are guilty, they "can face a disciplinary process on campus which could result in expulsion," Albert said. The ban on extracurricular activities includes intercollegiate athletics, Albert said. The four arrested football players were not on the team's online roster Wednesday afternoon. Head coach Gary Patterson said he was shocked, hurt and then mad after he heard of the arrests Wednesday morning. "Under my watch, drugs and drug use by TCU's student-athletes will not be tolerated by me or any member of my coaching staff. Period," Patterson said on the school's athletics website. "Our program is respected nationally for its strong ethics, and for that reason the players arrested today were separated from TCU by the university. I believe strongly that young people's lives are more important than wins or losses." TCU Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said he "will not tolerate behavior that reflects poorly on TCU, the athletics department, our teams or other student-athletes within the department." "We have an excellent athletics program at TCU, and an indicator of that excellence is the fact that we will not tolerate criminal conduct among our student-athletes," Del Conte said in his online statement. The arrests come months before the football team, coming off an 11-2 season, prepares to start its first year in the Big 12 conference. Brock, the linebacker, was an SI.com honorable-mention All-American after leading the Horned Frogs in tackles and fumble recoveries as a sophomore in 2010. But he was limited to one game as a junior, sitting out most of the season with an injured foot. Johnson, the safety, started eight games in 2011, recording 47 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Yendrey, the defensive tackle, played in every game this past season and was an honorable-mention All-Mountain West Conference selection, recording three sacks and 39 tackles.

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:05:26 GMT

Kennedy makes House bid official

Democrat Joseph P. Kennedy III officially announced his Congressional bid Thursday to replace retiring Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts. Kennedy, son of former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, used a video on his campaign website to lay out his platform, detail his credentials and play up his last name, ahead of the Democratic primary in the state's 4th Congressional district. "My family has had the great privilege of serving Massachusetts before. They taught me that public service is an honor given in trust and that trust must be earned each and every day," Kennedy said in the over two minute video. "That is exactly what I intend to do." Kennedy, the grandson of former senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy and grandnephew of former President John F. Kennedy, served in the Peace Corps after college before attending Harvard Law School and working as a prosecutor and assistant district attorney in Massachusetts. The 31-year-old stepped down from his DA post in early January when he announced plans to explore a run. Frank, a high-ranking member of House Financial Services Committee, represented the heavily Democratic district for 16 terms. In a nod to the prominent representative, Kennedy said "he leaves very big shoes to fill." "You can always count on me to fight for small businesses, seniors, veterans and for you to make sure you get the constituent service you've come to expect," he said. The political family held at least one seat in Congress for 64 years, until Kennedy's second cousin Patrick Kennedy decided against a reelection bid for his Rhode Island congressional seat in 2010.

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:46:40 GMT

E-cigarette explodes in man's mouth

An electronic cigarette exploded in a Florida man's mouth, blowing out his teeth and part of his tongue and setting a room in his house on fire. Tom Holloway, 57, of Niceville, Fla., was smoking the e-cigarette Monday night when his wife heard what sounded like a firecracker exploding and her husband scream in their study, neighbor Wendy Jensen told Pensacola, Fla., TV station WEAR. Chief Butch Parker of the North Bay Fire District said he believes a faulty battery is to blame, describing the explosion as if Holloway was holding a "bottle rocket in his mouth." "I have never heard of or seen anything like this before," he told ABC News. The debris that flew around the room was so hot, it melted everything it touched. Holloway, meanwhile, is now recovering at a Florida burn center. The Vietnam veteran, photographer and father of three stopped smoking two years ago and had turned to e-cigarettes to kick the habit. E-cigarettes are battery-operated smoking-cessation devices that simulate the act of tobacco smoking through physical sensation, appearance and even flavor. They are currently not regulated by the FDA.

Published: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:26:01 GMT

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