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AUGUSTA, Maine – A Maine legislator wants to make the state the first to require cell phones to carry warnings that they can cause brain cancer, although there is no consensus among scientists that they do and industry leaders dispute the claim.
The now-ubiquitous devices carry such warnings in some countries, though no U.S. states require them, according to the National Conference of State Legislators. A similar effort is afoot in San Francisco, where Mayor Gavin Newsom wants his city to be the nation's first to require the warnings.
Maine Rep. Andrea Boland, D-Sanford, said numerous studies point to the cancer risk, and she has persuaded legislative leaders to allow her proposal to come up for discussion during the 2010 session that begins in January, a session usually reserved for emergency and governors' bills.
Boland herself uses a cell phone, but with a speaker to keep the phone away from her head. She also leaves the phone off unless she's expecting a call. At issue is radiation emitted by all cell phones.
Under Boland's bill, manufacturers would have to put labels on phones and packaging warning of the potential for brain cancer associated with electromagnetic radiation. The warnings would recommend that users, especially children and pregnant women, keep the devices away from their head and body.
The Federal Communications Commission, which maintains that all cell phones sold in the U.S. are safe, has set a standard for the "specific absorption rate" of radiofrequency energy, but it doesn't require handset makers to divulge radiation levels.
The San Francisco proposal would require the display of the absorption rate level next to each phone in print at least as big as the price. Boland's bill is not specific about absorption rate levels, but would require a permanent, nonremovable advisory of risk in black type, except for the word "warning," which would be large and in red letters. It would also include a color graphic of a child's brain next to the warning.
While there's little agreement about the health hazards, Boland said Maine's roughly 950,000 cell phone users among its 1.3 million residents "do not know what the risks are."
All told, more than 270 million people subscribed to cellular telephone service last year in the United States, an increase from 110 million in 2000, according to CTIA-The Wireless Association. The industry group contends the devices are safe.
"With respect to the matter of health effects associated with wireless base stations and the use of wireless devices, CTIA and the wireless industry have always been guided by science, and the views of impartial health organizations. The peer-reviewed scientific evidence has overwhelmingly indicated that wireless devices do not pose a public health risk," said CTIA's John Walls.
James Keller of Lewiston, whose cell phone serves as his only phone, seemed skeptical about warning labels. He said many things may cause cancer but lack scientific evidence to support that belief. Besides, he said, people can't live without cell phones.
"It seems a little silly to me, but it's not going to hurt anyone to have a warning on there. If they're really concerned about it, go ahead and put a warning on it," he said outside a sporting good store in Topsham. "It wouldn't deter me from buying a phone."
While there's been no long-term studies on cell phones and cancer, some scientists suggest erring on the side of caution.
Last year, Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, sent a memo to about 3,000 faculty and staff members warning of risks based on early, unpublished data. He said that children should use the phones only for emergencies because their brains were still developing and that adults should keep the phone away from the head and use a speakerphone or a wireless headset.
Herberman, who says scientific conclusions often take too long, is one of numerous doctors and researchers who have endorsed an August report by retired electronics engineer L. Lloyd Morgan. The report highlights a study that found significantly increased risk of brain tumors from 10 or more years of cell phone or cordless phone use.
Also, the BioInitiative Working Group, an international group of scientists, notes that many countries have issued warnings and that the European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for governmental action to address concerns over health risks from mobile phone use.
But the National Cancer Institute said studies thus far have turned up mixed and inconsistent results, noting that cell phones did not come into widespread use in the United States until the 1990s.
"Although research has not consistently demonstrated a link between cellular telephone use and cancer, scientists still caution that further surveillance is needed before conclusions can be drawn," according to the Cancer Institute's Web site.

Motorola Inc., one of the nation's major wireless phone makers, says on its Web site that all of its products comply with international safety guidelines for radiofrequency energy exposure.

A Motorola official referred questions to CTIA.

WASHINGTON – A top presidential adviser says the White House is confident Congress will pass a health care overhaul despite big differences in the House and Senate versions.
Democrats in the Senate have now lined up 60 votes, the minimum needed to overcome Republican opposition and move toward passing a bill on Christmas Eve. Even then, tough compromise talks will be needed with the House, which passed its own bill in November.
Some lawmakers in both chambers say they won't vote for final health care legislation if their version is changed too much.
White House official David Axelrod said Sunday: "This whole process has been like that." But he said Congress has the will to get a health care deal done.
Axelrod spoke on ABC's "This Week."

One in 110 American children are considered to fall somewhere along the autism spectrum, according to the latest report released by the federal government. The new figure, which was released initially in October, comes from the most comprehensive set of data yet on the developmental health of eight-year-olds.
Increasing the previous federal estimate of 1 in 150, the new data suggest that 1% of children now exhibit some symptoms of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a collection of neurological conditions whose symptoms may range from mild social impairment to more serious communication, language and cognitive deficits. The estimate also represents a stunning 57% increase in prevalence since 2002, when health officials first began a nationwide effort to quantify the risk of autism in childhood. (See the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2009.)
For the detailed report, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, researchers combed through health and education records in 11 U.S. cities. In some sites, the rate of autism was as high as 12 cases per 1,000 children, but averaged across the country the final autism case rate was calculated at 9 per 1,000 children. That's compared to a national rate of 1 per 2,000 children prior to the 1980s, and 6 per 1,000 children as recently as the 1990s.
The new figures also support past studies that suggest autism occurs more frequently in boys than girls. Federal statistics show that ASD prevalence jumped 60% among boys since 2002, compared with 48% among girls.
Experts note that the CDC database - the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM) - is the closest thing to an ideal measure of autism's prevalence. The data are culled from assessments made by health or developmental professionals, including pediatricians, psychologists and language and speech pathologists. In previous evaluations, autism estimates were based on less reliable parental reporting of symptoms or diagnoses.
Another strength of the ADDM network is that it allows researchers to track autism rates over time. For the current study, Catherine Rice, a behavioral scientist at the CDC's National Center of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, compared data from 10 sites in 2002 with the latest figures from 2006 - using a consistent definition of ASD - to determine that the prevalence of ASD had increased by 57%.
But as striking as the new figure is, it's not clear how much of the rise reflects a true increase in ASD risk and how much is due simply to improved awareness and diagnosis of the disorders. Increased access to special education classes and other therapies may also be inflating the numbers, as educators and parents enroll more children in hopes of optimizing their learning environment. Indeed, CDC researchers found that among sites where they had access to both health and education records, the prevalence of ASD was higher on average than in sites where only health information was available.
"This is going to be a complicated story," Rice told TIME, referring to the ongoing task of identifying reasons for the increase. "We know we're not going to get a single answer. But we can use these data sets in addition to all the other research going on to look at the causes of autism and try to put this together." (Read "New Evidence That Early Therapy Helps Autistic Kids")
Previous studies looking at a narrower population of youngsters have suggested that as much as 40% of the rise in autism cases might be explained by broader diagnostic definitions and by heightened awareness of the condition. But that still leaves 60% of the increase unaccounted for. "Most scientists believe there is something more than just awareness and a broadening definition that is responsible for the rise," says Dr. Gary Goldstein, president of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. "We are seeing some fraction of the increase that is probably due to more cases of autism."
So, what is driving the soaring numbers? While recent studies have highlighted genetic changes that might be responsible, some experts caution that such changes happen over time, far too slowly to explain the recent rise in autism. "When you see an increase like this, you have to think it's an environmental issue," says Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health and chair of the NIH's interagency autism coordinating committee.
Since autism is generally diagnosed before age two, most scientists believe the factors that contribute to ASD occur during pregnancy, or in the months immediately following birth. A pregnant mother's advanced age might be one such influence, along with certain behavioral and environmental exposures she or her newborn baby may experience - any combination of which could be interacting with their particular genetic makeup to promote ASD. Isolating the most causative culprits will be a challenge, say autism experts. "There is so much stuff out there, whether it is diet or infection," says Goldstein. "We could make a list but it's got thousands of things on it."
The latest statistics underscore the looming public health problem that autism has become, and highlight the urgent need for research on causes and treatments, as well as better support services for families caring for autistic children. The CDC considers ASDs a significant public health concern, says Rice, and researchers across the country continue to discover new genes associated with the condition. But for advocates of families affected by autism, the efforts are still not enough. "We are really seeing exciting things happening, but the pace is too slow, it just doesn't measure up to the size of the crisis," says Geraldine Dawson, chief scientific officer of Autism Speaks, a leading autism advocacy group.
See TIME's photo-essay "A Journey into the World of Autism"
See six tips for traveling with an autistic child.
View this article on Time.comRelated articles on Time.com:Higher Rate of Autism in Children: Is New Number Real? For the First Time, a Census of Autistic Adults Is the Autism Epidemic a Myth? Finding and Fighting Autism Early Q&A: Jenny McCarthy on Autism

DAMASCUS (Reuters) –
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said on Sunday he agreed with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on practical steps to open up "new horizons" in ties between the two Arab neighbors.

Hariri was speaking at the end of a two-day visit to Syria that marked the end to nearly five years of animosity between Damascus and the broad political alliance led by Hariri.

"We want to open new horizons between the two countries," Hariri told a news conference at the Lebanese embassy in Damascus.

He said his three rounds of "excellent" talks with the Syrian leader were frank and based on clarity.

"There will be serious steps from our side and on the part of President Bashar al-Assad to translate this cordial and serious relationship into steps on the ground in several fields," Hariri said, without giving details.

A senior Syrian official, Buthaina Shaaban, had described the talks as constructive, cordial and transparent. Assad had extended a warm welcome to Hariri upon his arrival in the Syrian capital on Saturday.

Hariri said the talks did not cover the 2005 assassination of his father, statesman Rafik al-Hariri, but that Assad had agreed the issue now was in the hands of a special court set up in The Hague to indict and punish the killers.

TENSIONS

Lebanon's ties with Syria hit rock bottom after Hariri's "March 14" alliance accused Syria of assassinating Rafik al-Hariri, in February 2005. They also blamed Damascus for attacking and killing other politicians and journalists.

Syria denies the allegations. The special court has yet to indict anyone for the killing.

Outrage in Lebanon over the assassination and international pressure forced Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon in April 2005, ending three decades of military presence in its smaller neighbor.

Lebanese analysts say an improvement of ties with Damascus would bridge a political divide in Beirut, easing sectarian tensions and providing Hariri with the necessary clout to push through long-delayed economic and other reforms.

Saad al-Hariri's coalition has often clashed in the past with Syria's allies in Lebanon, led by the powerful Iranian-backed group Hezbollah, and the political crisis has threatened to plunge Lebanon into a new civil war.

Rapprochement between Syria and Saudi Arabia, which backs Hariri, earlier this year eased tension and allowed Hariri, who won a parliamentary election in June, to form a unity government that included Hezbollah and other Damascus allies.

Hezbollah, which fought a war against Israel in 2006, is the only armed group in Lebanon. It is considered a terrorist group by Washington but Hariri's government has said it is a legitimate force whose aim is to end Israeli occupation of some Lebanese territory.

Lebanon and Syria exchanged embassies over the past year for the first time since both countries gained independence in the 1940s.

Thorny issues between the two countries include demarcation of borders, the fate of hundreds of Lebanese missing since the 1975-1990 civil war, and the military presence of Syrian-backed Palestinian militant groups outside refugee camps in Lebanon.

(Writing by Nadim Ladki; editing by Alison Williams)

PHNOM PENH (AFP) –
Rights activists expressed outrage Sunday at Cambodia's decision to deport to China a group of 20 Muslim Uighurs who had sought refuge after unrest in the Chinese region of Xinjiang.

The expulsion late Saturday on a Chinese plane, confirmed by the Cambodian interior ministry, came despite protests from the United States, the United Nations and rights groups.

"The Cambodian government has violated its responsibilities as a signatory to the 1951 (UN) Refugee Convention," President of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights Ou Virak told AFP on Sunday.

"The biggest concern of all is that these 20 Uighurs will get tortured or silently executed once back home," he said.

The Uighurs' presence in Phnom Penh was made public two weeks ago as they sought UN refugee status in Cambodia, saying they risked torture in China.

Tensions flared in Xinjiang in China's northwest in July, when clashes between Uighurs and China's majority Han ethnic group left nearly 200 dead and 1,600 injured, according to official tolls.

The violence erupted when Uighurs -- a mainly Muslim minority that has long complained of repression under Chinese rule -- attacked members of China's Han ethnic majority. In subsequent days, mobs of Han roamed the streets seeking revenge.

The Chinese authorities clamped down on the unrest, mobilising large numbers of troops and curtailing access to the Internet in a bid to stem the unrest that Beijing blamed on "ethnic separatists", without providing any evidence.

Xinjiang's leaders announced the arrests of large numbers of people, several of whom have since stood trial in legal proceedings criticised by international observers.

A total of 17 people have so far been sentenced or put to death for their roles in the unrest.

Cambodia's foreign ministry said domestic law dictated that the group in Phnom Penh had to be removed.

"They are illegal immigrants and according to Cambodian immigration law they should be expelled from the country. So we must expel them," the ministry's spokesman Koy Kuong said.

Sara Colm, a Cambodia analyst with Human Rights Watch, said she was "extremely worried" about the group, which she said had been deported "under the cloak of darkness" by the Cambodian government.

But she said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which had been assisting Cambodia in dealing with the claims for refugee status, was also partly to blame.

"It was an unbelievably poor judgement call on the part of UNHCR to essentially hand over protection of such a high risk group of asylum seekers to the Cambodian government".

But UNHCR spokeswoman Kitty McKinsey said: "We took extraordinary steps to try to prevent these deportations and in the end it's the responsibility of a state to provide protection".

Cambodia's decision came as Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping was due to begin a three-day visit to the country late Sunday, during which he would sign 14 pacts, including deals on infrastructure and construction, Koy Kuong said.

China and Cambodia have long had close relations, with China giving large amounts of aid to the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.

Cambodian spokesman Khieu Sopheak said two of the original group of 22 Uighurs who disappeared after the group's arrival were still missing.

Cambodia has insisted the UN agency take responsibility for the pair but the agency says it cannot.

Before the announcement of the deportation, US State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid had said Cambodia should "honour its commitment under international law".

"We are deeply disturbed by reports the Cambodian government might forcibly return this group of Uighurs without the benefit of a credible refugee status determination process," Duguid told reporters.

Amnesty International urged Cambodia earlier this week not to deport the group, saying they risked torture at home in China.

Beijing warned Tuesday that UN refugee programs "should not be a haven for criminals" and said the Uighur group, said to include three children, were involved in criminal activity.

As Congress gets closer to a final health care bill, many Americans want to know: What's in it for me?
The answer is: It depends.
On your age and household income. Whether you own a business and whether it's big or small. Whether you're insured now and who provides that insurance. In the end, it will depend on how House and Senate negotiators will merge the proposals, and how their vision gets translated into regulations.
Five Americans shared their stories with The Associated Press. Here's an educated guess on how the health care package taking shape in Congress might affect them.
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Name: Holly Brown
Home: Round Lake, Ill.
Age: 28
Employment: Student, working part time, receiving unemployment benefits.
Household income: about $15,000.
Coverage: Insured, but struggling to afford it.
Brown was laid off last year from a job she'd held for four years. She's stayed insured because of the government COBRA program, which allows workers to remain on a health plan for 18 months after they leave their jobs, if they pay the premiums.
Brown works part time and studies medical imaging at College of Lake County. She has a chronic lung condition and was in the emergency room in November with flu and pneumonia. She's paid about $1,000 in medical bills this year that her insurance didn't cover.
She doesn't know how she'll pay her $500 premium this month because a government subsidy that helped her afford the premium has expired.
"It's scary to think about what's going to happen if I can't make the payment by the end of the month," Brown said.
The health care overhaul taking shape in Congress would require her to buy health insurance or pay a penalty. She could pick a plan offered through new state-based insurance exchanges and she would qualify for a subsidy to help pay her premiums because she makes less than 400 percent of the poverty level ($43,320 for an individual in 2009). But all those benefits wouldn't kick in until 2013 in the House bill (2014 in the Senate legislation). Because of her medical problem, she may be able to qualify for coverage during the transition period by going through high-risk insurance pools called for in the legislation.
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Name: Glenn Nishimura

Home: Little Rock, Ark.

Age: 60

Employment: Consultant to nonprofit groups.

Household income: $55,000, including wife's earnings.

Coverage: Uninsured since COBRA expired in May.

Nishimura left a full-time job with benefits in October 2007 thinking he'd be able to find another good position.

Then the recession hit.

He's now a self-employed consultant. Since May, he's been without health insurance. For 18 months, he bought insurance through the COBRA program. When that ran out, he tried to find other coverage. He's been turned down by five insurance companies because he has high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels, even though he's otherwise healthy, has never been hospitalized and controls his conditions through diet and exercise.

"I could get H1N1 or get into an accident and I would be potentially bankrupt," Nishimura said. "It's an untenable situation."

The Medicare buy-in proposal considered in the Senate could have helped Nishimura get insurance, as would portions of both the House and Senate bills that would ban denials for pre-existing conditions. But opposition from moderates and a few liberals is forcing Senate Democratic leaders to scrap the idea of a buy-in to get a bill completed.

Nishimura said he e-mailed President Barack Obama suggesting that lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 55 or 60 would create jobs. "I know a lot of people who would like to retire early, but can't because of health care," he said.

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Name: David W. Brown

Home: Philadelphia

Age: 47

Employment: Owner of BrownPartners, an advertising and marketing agency. Seven employees. $336,000 in annual wages paid.

Household income: $150,000, including wife's earnings.

Coverage: Provides health, dental and vision coverage to employees.

An ad agency owner, Brown has been able to offer health insurance to his seven employees, but has had to cut benefits because of rising costs. Like other business owners, Brown is trying to figure out what will emerge from Congress and how it will affect him.

"We haven't been able to be as generous as we have in the past," Brown said of the insurance plan he offers his workers. "The good thing is, not a lot of folks are leaving because somebody else has a better plan."

Health care overhaul might help Brown and his wife with coverage for their daughters, now age 17 and 20. The proposals would allow young adults to stay on their parents' insurance plans as dependents into their mid-20s.

Brown would be able to shop for insurance for his workers through a health insurance exchange. Neither of the bills would require him to provide coverage. Both bills provide tax credits to help small companies with average wages of less than $40,000 provide health insurance. But pay levels in Brown's agency are above that cutoff.

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Name: Robert Hansen

Home: Seattle homeless shelter

Age: 58

Employment: vendor, Real Change street newspaper.

Household income: $12,000, including tips.

Coverage: Uninsured.

Hansen used to work selling beer and peanuts at Seattle's now-demolished Kingdome. "Age caught up to me, running up and down the stairs, the physical labor," said the 58-year-old Seattle native.

Hansen has been homeless since 1994. A top-selling vendor of a weekly newspaper called Real Change, he makes about $1,000 a month. He eats his evening meal and finds a bed at a Catholic Community Services shelter.

The tingling in his feet and the occasional purplish color of his hands worry him. It's been so long since he's had a thorough physical exam that he's not sure if his symptoms could mean a serious health problem such as diabetes. He's uninsured and finds care in community clinics and emergency rooms.

Hansen and most other poor adults without young children don't qualify for Medicaid, the state-federal program that helps low-income families with health care. The proposals in Congress would expand Medicaid coverage to people such as Hansen.

In the leading Senate proposal, people with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level ($14,404 for an individual in 2009) could enroll in Medicaid. The House bill makes the cutoff 150 percent of the poverty level ($16,245 for an individual in 2009).

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Name: Carol McKenna

Home: Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Age: 68

Employment: Retired payroll coordinator

Household income: About $39,000 from Social Security and some earnings by husband as mattress salesman.

Coverage: Medicare Advantage policy administered by AvMed Health Plans.

If McKenna believes the claims of the insurance industry and many Republicans, she and her husband are among the most at risk to be hurt by Congress' health proposals. If Democrats are telling the truth, they will be among those with the most to gain.

The 68-year-old retiree refrains from any worry, or any premature celebration. She simply believes, "It'll work out."

McKenna and her husband, Morty, who turns 78 on Sunday, are in private Medicare Advantage plans, which many Democrats have called wasteful and which have been made a prime target for major cuts. But Morty McKenna also falls in the coverage gap in Medicare's prescription drug program — the "doughnut hole" — that the health bills have promised to close. More than 3 million Medicare beneficiaries a year hit this gap and start paying the full cost of their drugs until they qualify for catastrophic coverage.

She said the government must "get rid of the abuses" and that pharmaceutical companies "need to step up and be accountable." For now, though, she's just waiting to see what actually happens.

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Associated Press writers Matt Sedensky in Miami, Jesse Washington in Philadelphia and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar in Washington contributed to this report.

ROME (Reuters) –
A nativity scene featuring a dark-skinned Jesus, Mary and Joseph that has gone on display in a Verona courthouse has created heated debate in a city with strong links to Italy's anti-immigration Northern League party.

The nativity's appearance coincides with the League's controversial operation "White Christmas," a two-month sweep ending on Christmas Day to ferret out foreigners without proper permits in Coccaglio, a small League-led town east of Milan.

The Christmas scene -- featuring a dark-skinned baby Jesus dressed in a red shirt and lying in a manger -- was the idea of Mario Giulio Schinaia, the chief Public Prosecutor in Verona.

"History teaches us that baby Jesus and his parents were very probably dark-skinned," Schinaia told Reuters. "This nativity belongs to a universal Christmas tradition that brings together the whole of Christianity in celebration."

The nativity has caused heated reactions in the rich northern town, where resentment toward foreigners has spread as the number of immigrants, particularly from north Africa and eastern Europe, continues to rise.

"It is a useless act of provocation, just like the suggestion not to have a nativity scene at all, in order not to offend Muslims," Northern League farm minister Luca Zaia told one paper, referring to proposals in recent years that town halls and stores should no longer sponsor Christmas scenes.

"Magistrates have other problems to deal with: I hope they spend as much time thinking about lawsuits and trials," he said.

The Northern League, an ally of conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with key cabinet posts including the interior ministry, has used its growing political clout to secure tough new laws including making illegal immigration a crime.

League proposals have ranged from separate buses and trains for immigrants to banning new mosques and forbidding the serving of Chinese food and kebabs in towns under its control.

Schinaia defended his black nativity scene, saying it was not intended to be polemical but to encourage debate.

"There shouldn't be a white or black Christmas, only a merry Christmas for everyone, of every skin color, ethnic background and nationality."

(Reporting by Ella Ide; Editing by Stephen Brown)

WASHINGTON – Congress authorized subpoenas Wednesday for the White House gate-crashers to testify about how the couple got into a state dinner without an invitation.
Lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee voted Wednesday to compel the attention-hungry couple to answer questions about the Nov. 24 incident.
The couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, have said they will invoke their Fifth Amendment right to refuse to answer questions.
Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan has said normal security protocols weren't followed and three uniformed Secret Service officers have been placed on administrative leave.
While the committee authorized subpoenas for the Salahis, it would not accept its top Republican's proposal to subpoena White House social secretary Desiree Rogers.
"I believe if we're going to get a full picture of what happened that evening, we have to have Desiree Rogers here," Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. said. King said he is willing to work with the White House to come up with a way for Rogers to answer questions about the incident.
The Secret Service and the White House social office together developed the security plan for the state dinner honoring the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Committee chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., has been reluctant to subpoena Rogers — an Obama political appointee — because he maintains the Secret Service is responsible for security.
The Salahis said through their lawyer on Tuesday that the House Homeland Security Committee has drawn premature conclusions about the state dinner incident.
The Salahis have gone on national television and said they received an invitation to the dinner. But copies of e-mails they cited to buttress that claim show no such invitation was made.
The Salahis say they are cooperating with the Secret Service's criminal investigation.

LOS ANGELES – Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend is suing the actor and his former business manager, claiming she is owed more than $13 million and a house the actor promised her.
Christina Fulton, who is the mother of Cage's adult son, Weston, sued the Oscar-winner in Los Angeles on Tuesday. She claims Cage promised her a home in Los Angeles' Hancock Park neighborhood, but that she has now been ordered to leave the property.
Fulton is seeking the title and rights to the house as well as money for a series of debts she claims were caused by Cage's former business manager, Samuel J. Levin.
Cage's attorney, Marty Singer, called Fulton's claims against the actor absurd and said Cage has given her far more than the $6,000 per month he was required to pay her under a court order. Cage has paid $3 million per year on behalf of Fulton in recent years, he said.
"From Nic's standpoint, this is really a case of 'No good deed goes unpunished,'" Singer said.
He noted that many of the claims are leveled against Levin, whose attorney, Joseph Schleimer, did not respond to a phone message seeking comment on Wednesday.
Fulton's lawsuit is the latest in a string of financial woes for Cage, who stated in a $20 million lawsuit against Levin that he is being forced to sell properties around the world to make up for financial mismanagement. The Internal Revenue Service has filed more than $6.6 million in tax liens against the actor this year, records show.
Levin has countersued Cage, claiming the star owes him money and failed to heed his advice to curb his lavish spending habits.
Fulton and Cage's son was born in 1990, and the couple split about four years later, her lawsuit states.
Cage bought her a home in 2001 and told her she would own the title to the property, according to the lawsuit. It wasn't until earlier this year — when the actor told her in an e-mail that she should sell the home if she was having financial problems — that Fulton states she discovered her name wasn't on the title.
Foreclosure proceedings have begun on the home.
Fulton accuses Levin of failing to properly review credit statements and spot fraudulent charges. She also accused the accountant of exposing her to other debts, including a $1 million in government liens.
Public records show Levin has been a licensed certified public accountant in California for nearly 25 years and has no public record of disciplinary actions.
Cage is known for his dramatic roles in films such as "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Adaptation" as well as action turns in "The Rock" and "Con Air."

NEW YORK – R. Kelly is writing more chapters, only this time, it's not for his "Trapped" saga, but for a new memoir.
The 42-year-old singer, writer and producer says in a statement issued Wednesday that he is working on an autobiography with David Ritz that will "tell it like it is."
He has a lot to talk about. He's one of the best-selling recording artists in history but also one of the most controversial.
The book promises to go through all his drama, including child pornography charges that ended with an acquittal.
The autobiography is untitled right now, just like his new CD. It's scheduled for release by Tavis Smiley's SmileyBooks in 2011.
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On the Net:
http://www.r-kelly.com

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Good news for
health-conscious parents: General Mills plans to further cut the amount of
sugar in the cereals it markets to children under 12.

The Minneapolis-based company, the maker of such cereals as Lucky
Charms and Cocoa Puffs, announced Wednesday that it will reduce the sugar
content in 10 of its products to less than 11 grams, following up on
product modifications begun two years ago.

"Our first target was to reduce sugar in cereals advertised to children
to 12 grams of sugar or less," Jeff Harmening, president of General Mills'
Big G cereal division, said in a prepared statement.

"As a result, we have already reduced sugar in many cereals, some by as
much as 20 percent, and by spring General Mills cereals advertised to
children will all have 11 grams of sugar per serving or less," he
said.

The move is part of an industry-wide response to complaints from
consumers, health groups and federal regulators about the nutritional
content of foods aimed at U.S. children, who are becoming increasingly
overweight and obese, putting them at risk for a variety of health
problems, including diabetes. Health experts worry that added sugar
contributes to weight gain without providing any nutritional benefit.

"The reduction ... doesn't represent perfection but it represents
improvement," Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy
and Obesity at Yale University, told the Associated Press.
"Children deserve to be marketed products that are healthier to them than
what is being marketed now," Brownell added.

According to General Mills, the product changes are not a response to
criticism, but rather an attempt to make its products healthier. Other
steps include increasing whole grain and nutrients in its cereals. Every
Big G cereal now provides 8 grams of whole grain per serving or more, the
company said.

Post Foods and Kellogg Co. have also made changes in their cereal
lines. Kellogg's Froot Loops, Apple Jacks and Corn Pops, among others,
were updated last year, with sugar reduced by 1 to 3 grams and fiber added
to some of the products, the AP said.

Post, which increased the vitamin D in Pebbles and Honeycomb cereals
this year, has announced sugar reductions of 20 percent in its Fruity
Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles brands.

Misleading food packaging has come under attack from the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration, which is trying to keep companies from touting false
health benefits. Already one industry group has discontinued its "Smart
Choices" labeling program, because of criticism that sugary cereals
qualified for the seal of approval, the AP said.

A recent study published by the Rudd Center, which listed the 10 least
healthy cereals, found that General Mills made six of the cereals on the
list. It also found that the cereal giant markets to children more than
any other cereal maker, the news service reported.

The study also found that children eat twice as much of the highly
sweetened cereals as low-sugar cereals.

More information

For more on healthy eating for children, visit the U.S.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

WASHINGTON – A top official of the Bowl Championship Series says there are more important things for Congress to worry about than pressing for a playoff system for college football.
But lawmakers were taking a crack at it anyway Wednesday. A House panel was to consider a proposal to ban the promotion of a postseason NCAA Division I football game as a national championship unless it's the outcome of a playoff.
"With everything going on in the country, I can't believe that Congress is wasting time and spending taxpayers' money on football," Bill Hancock, the BCS executive director, said in a phone interview. "We feel strongly that managing of college sports is best left to the people in higher education."
The legislation is sponsored by Texas Rep. Joe Barton, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The vote by the panel's commerce, trade and consumer protection subcommittee comes three days after the BCS selections were announced. Those include the Jan. 7 national title game between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Texas.
Barton said Congress' attention is warranted, since "at this level, college football is a multibillion-dollar business" not much different from other businesses that face congressional oversight.
"With telecommunications, you're dealing with AT&T and Verizon and Sprint, and in this case you're dealing with the SEC and the Big 12 and the Pac-10," Barton said. "It's the same basic economic model."
But the measure faces long odds getting through Congress, given the wide geographic representation of schools in the six conferences that get automatic BCS bowl bids.
"The schools in those six conferences, which have such a huge financial benefit from the system, have enormous clout," said Gary Roberts, dean of the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis and a sports law expert. "I don't see anything coming from this."
BCS officials don't appear worried that Barton's bill will become law.
"We just can't imagine that the members of Congress will think it's their job to dictate how college football should be played," Hancock said.
The current college bowl system features a championship game between the two top teams in the BCS standings, based on two polls and six computer rankings. Eight other schools get the Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and Rose bowls.
Under the BCS, six conference champions get automatic bids — the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10 and SEC — while other conferences don't. Critics call that system unfair.
Although Alabama and Texas finished with undefeated seasons, so did several other teams that will not get a chance to play for the title game, including TCU, Cincinnati and Boise State. All three will get to play in a BCS bowl: Cincinnati is the Big East champ; TCU, champion of the Mountain West, gets a bid awarded to a non-automatic qualifying conference that meets certain criteria; and Boise State, winner of the Western Athletic Conference, gets an at-large bid.
"We're pleased that Congressman Barton's bill is moving forward because it will require the BCS to choose — either make college football's championship a competitively earned honor or admit that it's currently the equivalent of being elected homecoming king," said Matthew Sanderson, a founder of Playoff PAC, a political action committee aimed at electing members of Congress who favor a playoff system.
At a May hearing, Barton warned college football officials that unless they took action toward a playoff system within two months, Congress would probably move on his bill. It took a little longer, but the timing of this week's vote isn't exactly a coincidence.
"Part of it is because BCS is in the news," Barton said. He said he hasn't lobbied subcommittee members much but doesn't think there is much resistance to the idea that there should be a playoff in college football.
But there is opposition to the bill. Subcommittee member Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., said he would prefer to see affected parties work out a playoff system themselves rather than have Congress do it.
There is no Senate version, although Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has pressed for a Justice Department antitrust investigation into the BCS.

Shortly after his election last year, Obama said there should be a playoff system.

"I'm going to throw my weight around a little bit," Obama said at the time. "I think it's the right thing to do."

____

On the Net:

Read H.R.390, The College Football Playoffs Act, at http://thomas.loc.gov/

Bowl Championship Series: http://www.bcsfootball.org

House Energy and Commerce Committee: http://energycommerce.house.gov

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine police on Wednesday named 161 suspects in the massacre of 57 people last month in the country's worst election violence, including government militiamen led by members of a powerful clan facing murder and rebellion charges.
Witnesses have said Andal Ampatuan Jr., a scion of the clan, led the group of militiamen who attacked a rival's convoy on Nov. 23 in the southern province of Maguindanao, national police Chief Jesus Verzosa told reporters. The dead included 30 journalists and their staff.
He said witnesses told investigators Ampatuan himself shot some of the victims in Ampatuan township — named after his family, which has ruled the impoverished province unopposed for years. The bodies bore bullet wounds in the mouth and chest fired from close range, Verzosa said.
Police said the bodies of some of the 21 female victims were mutilated, including their sexual organs. Authorities earlier said at least five women may have been raped.
Police said the militiamen, all but two at large, were identified by witnesses Tuesday. Their names will be submitted to prosecutors to be included in the charge sheet and court warrants of arrest.
Photos of about 100 newly identified suspects were displayed at the national police headquarters in Manila. Of the 161 suspects identified by authorities, 100 are militiamen and the remainder are members of the Ampatuan clan or are police, army and local officials working for the Ampatuans. About 30 have been arrested.
Ampatuan turned himself in three days after the Nov. 23 killings and denied involvement. His father — family patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr. — four brothers and 19 others who were later arrested were indicted Wednesday on the separate charge of rebellion.
A Department of Justice statement cited witnesses and investigators as saying the patriarch had ordered his private armies to "combat the government to death" if members of his clan and other supporters were arrested.
Heavily armed members of the clan's private armies fled to mountain villages to hide, ready to attack in case the Ampatuans were arrested, the statement added.
Last week, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared martial law in Maguindanao, allowing government forces to arrest other members of the clan without waiting for court warrants and order some 2,400 loyalists to surrender their weapons.
Security forces have recovered dozens of weapons and about half a million ammunition rounds in and near properties of the clan. Officers and soldiers returned to a warehouse they raided earlier and found more ammunition hidden in the concrete wall, said military spokesman Lt. Col. Michael Samson.
Air force planes and helicopters dropped thousands of leaflets urging Ampatuan followers to give up or face an assault.
"We have to resolve this case peacefully," Verzosa said. "We are urging them to surrender and then the normal processes of the law and prosecution should be held."
The head of the independent Commission on Human Rights, Leila de Lima, said her agency would also investigate allegations in a letter from anonymous citizens blaming the Ampatuans for at least 200 other killings in the area in the past. De Lima cautioned that the allegations had not been validated and did not provide details.
She said her office had asked the elder Ampatuan to comment on the allegations but he never responded.
Human rights lawyers, a former Senate president and three other groups asked the Supreme Court to declare the martial law proclamation unconstitutional, arguing that a breakdown of law and order in Maguindanao did not amount to a rebellion.
The court ordered the government to comment on the petition by Monday. It also granted the government's request to transfer the trial from Maguindanao to Manila, citing concern for the security of witnesses.
Arroyo's proclamation is the first use of military rule in the Philippines since late dictator Ferdinand Marcos declared it nationwide more than 30 years ago.

Congressmen and senators convened in a joint session Wednesday to begin debate on whether the martial law should be ended or extended. Arroyo's allies dominate the lower house.

____

Associated Press writers Jim Gomez, Oliver Teves and Hrvoje Hranjski contributed to this report.

As newer computers stopped using dedicated synthesis chips and began to primarily use sample-based synthesis, more realistic timbres could be recreated, but often at the expense of file size (as with MODs) and potentially without the personality imbued by the limitations of the older sound chips.

The June 2008 issue of Paste Magazine has an article on chiptune artist Jeremiah "Nullsleep" Johnson, and the included sampler CD features chiptune song "Local Hero" by Crazy Q.

Musical Greeting Cards

NEW YORK (Reuters) –
The U.S. manufacturing sector is expected to have grown but at a slower pace in November in a still fragile recovery from the longest recession in decades, according to a Reuters' poll of economists.

The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index reading is estimated at 55.0 in November, decelerating from 55.7 in October, according to the poll's median forecast.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion.

Estimates from the 70 economists polled ranged from a low of 52.0 to a high of 56.2.

The Institute for Supply Management will release the report at 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

A sample of forecasts and analysis on the upcoming ISM manufacturing index follows:

IAN SHEPHERDSON, CHIEF U.S. ECONOMIST, HIGH FREQUENCY ECONOMICS:

FORECAST: 57.0

"The rebound in the ISM has been dramatic, and if sustained, the current level of the new orders index appears to be consistent with real spending on equipment and software rising at a year-over-year rate of about 10 percent."

"That's easily enough to matter, because it accounts for some 7 percent of gross domestic product."

"The bad news is that the surge in the ISM is not consistent with other indicators. First, the fantastically depressed level of industrial capacity utilization is hard to square with a rebound in capital spending."

"The rate of growth of capital spending will be nearer to zero than the 10 percent implied by the ISM."

STEVEN WOOD, CHIEF ECONOMIST, INSIGHT ECONOMICS:

FORECAST: 55.0

"Manufacturing activity has recovered from its cyclical nadir of earlier this year and is now expanding modestly. However, there has been little acceleration in the tepid pace of this expansion. Moreover, because of the sharp declines in manufacturing between October 2008 and July 2009, the level of factory activity is still quite subdued."

(Reporting by John Parry; polling by Bangalore Polling Unit; Editing by Andrew Hay)

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Tiger Woods still isn't talking. Now he's not playing, either. Woods withdrew Monday from his own golf tournament, citing injuries from a car crash near his Florida home. His decision comes as questions continue to mount regarding what exactly happened in the wee hours of the morning last Friday — questions that most certainly would have been asked of him had he played.
The world's No. 1 golfer posted a statement on his Web site saying that unspecified injuries prevented him from playing in the Chevron World Challenge. He had been scheduled to hold a press conference Tuesday for the tournament, which he hosts annually for a small, invited, field.
"I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week," Woods said. "I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I'm very sorry that I can't be there."
Tournament officials said fans who bought advance tickets with the hope of seeing Woods could get refunds beginning next week. Those who keep their tickets will get a 20 percent discount when they buy them next year.
Woods sustained cuts and bruises when he crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree at 2:25 a.m. Friday, outside his home in an exclusive, gated community near Orlando. He was treated at a hospital and released, and has not been seen in public since.
By skipping the tournament, Woods will escape the TV cameras and a horde of media seeking more details about the smashup. The tournament was to be the last of the year for Woods anyway, and he did not say when or where he would make his return next year.
The first tournament of the 2010 PGA Tour is the SBS Championship in Hawaii, an event for winners from the previous year, beginning Jan. 7, but Woods wasn't expected to be there. He's more likely to play at Torrey Pines in San Diego the week of Jan. 25.
Woods released a statement Sunday saying the accident was his fault and asked that it remain "a private matter." But with the Florida Highway Patrol still investigating and the media in full pursuit, Woods may not get his way.
Woods even faced questions from fans who left comments on his Web site. Most voiced support for him, but some said he should address the questions about his own actions and those of his wife, Elin Nordegren, before and after the accident.
Woods hasn't answered questions from Florida troopers, either, turning them down three days in a row when they came to his house.
Four cars were parked in Woods' driveway Monday, but no lights appeared to be on inside. A new fire hydrant had already replaced the one that Woods plowed into. A dirt hole and an orange barricade remained in the old hydrant's place.
Linda Adams, Woods' neighbor, confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel that someone in her home other than her husband, Jerome, called authorities.
The Associated Press called the Adams home Monday and asked to speak to the Adams' son Jarius, who's believed to have made the call. The woman who answered the telephone told a reporter to call back later in the day. When the AP called back Monday evening, attorney Bill Sharpe answered and said he was representing the family. He said there was no comment at this time, but said a statement might be made Tuesday.
Woods, who both hosts and plays in the Chevron World Challenge, was there last year even though he couldn't play because he was recovering from knee surgery. His absence this year will be the first since the tournament — which has only an 18-player field — began in 1999. He was replaced by Graeme McDowell.
Only a few players were at Sherwood Country Club late Monday afternoon. Padraig Harrington was on the golf course and didn't get word until later that the host was not going to be there.
"It would be a nice opportunity this time of year to go head-to-head with him, but it's not to be," Harrington said.
He said Woods' absence would be felt all week, until the back nine on Sunday when the focus probably will shift to who's winning the event, and the $1.35 million prize.
Though he cited injuries from the accident in withdrawing, Woods didn't specifically say what those injuries included. The neighbor, who called 911 after Woods ran over the hydrant and hit a tree, said he was unconscious and lying outside his SUV. His wife told Windermere police she used a golf club to smash the back windows to help him out.

"This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way," Woods said in a statement Sunday, his first since the crash. "Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible. ...

"I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received," he said. "But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be."

The reference to "false, unfounded and malicious rumors" may have involved a story published last week in the National Enquirer alleging that Woods had been seeing a New York nightclub hostess, and that they recently were together in Melbourne, where Woods competed in the Australian Masters.

The woman, Rachel Uchitel, denied having an affair with Woods when contacted by The Associated Press. On Sunday, she flew to Los Angeles and was met by high-profile attorney Gloria Allred at the airport.

Still, even the release of the 911 tape and Woods' statement failed to answer several basic questions about the accident:

• Where he was going at that time of the night?

• How did he lose control of his SUV when it wasn't going fast enough to deploy airbags?

• Why were both rear windows of the Cadillac Escalade smashed?

• If it was a careless mistake, why not speak to state troopers trying to wrap the investigation?

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Charles Jenkins scored a career-high 38 points to help Hofstra hold off Fairfield 84-80 on Monday night.
Nathaniel Lester added 18 points for the Pride (4-3), who have won three of four since losing by nine points at 14th-ranked Connecticut on Nov. 17.
Jenkins finished 12-for-17 from the floor, including a 5-for-7 mark from beyond the arc and a 9-for-9 performance at the foul line. Lester shot 7-for-12 from the floor.
Hofstra trailed Fairfield 42-40 at halftime, but took a two point lead after a 9-2 run midway through the second period. With the game tied at 75-all with just over 3 minutes left, Jenkins iced the game with a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer to put Hofstra ahead by five with 1:20 left.
Derek Needham paced the Stags (4-2) with 26 points and Yorel Hawkins and Anthony Johnson added 22 apiece.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) –
President Barack Obama on Monday prepared to announce he will deploy about 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan as part of a new strategy that aims to lay the ground for an eventual withdrawal.

After three months of deliberations, Obama will outline his plans in an address to war-weary Americans on Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

His aim is turn the tide on what U.S. military commanders call a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan due to a resurgent Taliban. He may face a tough sell at home with many Americans skeptical of sending more troops and wanting more focus on the weak U.S. economy and 10.2 percent jobless rate.

Obama told U.S. military commanders on Sunday he had settled on a plan and gave the orders to carry it out, the White House said. He also held a meeting to inform top advisers of his decision.

"The commander in chief delivered the orders," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Obama briefed allies on his plan on Monday and will talk to congressional leaders on Tuesday before delivering his speech.

The troop increase represents a major investment by Obama in the war shortly before he travels to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. It will likely set off a battle in the U.S. Congress over funding since his own Democrats oppose a big troop surge. The added cost could reach $20-40 billion.

STRATEGY SHIFT

Gibbs would not detail Obama's strategy, but other U.S. officials said Obama would announce that he has authorized sending about 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

The shift in strategy will put a greater emphasis on securing Afghan population centers and a major increase in training of Afghan security forces to gradually assume control.

Obama's emerging plan attempts to satisfy concerns on both sides of the U.S. political divide and represents a middle ground between conflicting options advocated by some of his senior advisers.

Sending more troops addresses demands from his generals and congressional Republicans, while stressing that the U.S. commitment is not open-ended is an attempt to placate skeptical Democrats and many Americans weary of the war and its cost.

Obama is not expected to set a specific pullout date. The strategy envisages a phased-in troop buildup over the next 12 to 18 months followed by a gradual U.S. drawdown and handover to Afghan forces over three to five years, officials said.

Pentagon officials hope NATO member-states eventually will supplement the U.S. surge with up to 10,000 of their own troops and trainers, pushing the overall number of extra troops close to 40,000, the number recommended by the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal.

But Britain has said it expects countries to pledge a further 5,000 troops on top of those sent by Obama.

OBAMA BRIEFS WORLD LEADERS

"You will hear the president discuss clearly that this is not open-ended. ... This is about what has to be done in order to assume that the Afghans can assume the responsibility of securing their country," Gibbs said.

Obama will continue the existing counterinsurgency strategy with a greater focus on protecting major Afghan population centers along with agricultural areas and transportation routes, officials said.

This will be combined with a counterterrorism campaign, advocated by Vice President Joe Biden, using unmanned aerial drones and special operations forces to combat Taliban and al Qaeda fighters along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and possibly in Afghanistan's more sparsely populated areas.

McChrystal has told lawmakers that a troop drawdown could begin by 2013, while the White House said it expected U.S. forces out of the country by 2017 or 2018.

Obama briefed Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in an Oval Office meeting and was telephoning other leaders, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. He spoke to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi last week.

U.S. officials and diplomats said the Obama administration aims to put more pressure on re-elected Afghan President Hamid Karzai to do a better job tackling corruption, with a plan to bypass his government if it does not cooperate.

Allies are also looking at how they can better coordinate their own efforts, with a U.S. suggestion to appoint a "higher representative", an option likely to discussed at a conference in London in January, said one Western diplomat, adding that no decision had been taken on such a new role.

Gibbs said Obama was talking in general about his plan to the allies, not getting into specifics.

"The president believes the situation in this region is a shared international challenge, so building on the work he's been doing in this regard ... the president will be in close consultation with our friends and allies throughout the day," Gibbs said.

(Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Sue Pleming and Phil Stewart; Editing by David Storey)

ATLANTA – Maxim Afinogenov scored with six seconds remaining in the third period to give the Atlanta Thrashers a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers for their fourth consecutive victory.
It was the fifth straight loss for the Panthers.
Afinogenov knocked in a 15-footer for his 11th goal off a pass from Nik Antropov, beating Florida goaltender Scott Clemmensen.
Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun was taken off the ice on a stretcher after he was accidentally hit in the head by the stick of teammate Keith Ballard in the opening period.
Vokoun had an ear laceration and was alert when taken by ambulance to a local hospital, a Panthers spokesman said.
The incident occurred after Atlanta's Elya Kovalchuk scored a goal at 8:54 of the first period, knocking in his own rebound. In apparent frustration, Ballard swung his stick at the net, inadvertently striking Vokoun in the head.
After about a 10-minute delay, Vokoun was wheeled off in a stretcher. He was replaced by Clemmensen.
The Panthers tied it at 3 with 2:23 remaining in the second period on a goal by Michael Frolik, his seventh. Stephen Weiss took the puck away from Atlanta's Mark Popovic behind the net and passed to Frolik, who easily beat Atlanta goalie Johan Hedberg.
Atlanta had gone ahead 3-2 on a goal by Chris Thorburn at 5:28 of the second period, beating Clemmensen from in close.
Popovic and Kovalchuk each scored goals off Vokoun in the opening period which ended in a 2-2 tie. Weiss and Rostislav Olesz scored for the Panthers.
Popovic opened the scoring with his second goal by beating Vokoun after only 3:36. Weiss scored his eighth goal at the 4:21 mark before Kovalchuk added his 15th goal to make it 2-1. Olesz tied it again with his sixth goal on a power play goal with 4:13 left.
Atlanta's Eric Boulton had a two assists, coming on the goals by Popovic and Thorburn.
NOTES: In his last start on Saturday night, Hedberg shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0. ... Weiss has four goals and eight assists in his last 10 games. ... The Thrashers are 6-5-2 at home. The Panthers fell to 7-6-2 on the road. ... The Panthers have played eight games in 13 days.

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – Army brigade leaders at Fort Campbell have begun monthly meetings of officers, doctors and counselors to catch early signs of emotional or mental stress among their troops and intervene before soldiers hurt themselves or others.
It's a unique effort at this sprawling base on the Tennessee-Kentucky line that fits with broader Army initiatives to deal with a rise in suicides among troops. The Army has bolstered suicide prevention since February after a record 140 cases in 2008, but this month said the number may rise again this year. It had recorded 140 suspected cases as of Nov. 11.
The brigade teams are part of Fort Campbell's plans that also include moving counselors and social workers out of hospitals and clinics and embedding them in the brigades to break down barriers and overcome the stigma of seeking help.
It's a decentralized approach to help soldiers become more resilient to stress after repeated deployments over eight years of war, said Capt. Sebastian Schnellbacher, the 101st Airborne Division's psychiatrist.
"Instead of making the soldiers come to us for care, we do whatever we can to bring ourselves closer to the soldiers," he said.
Fort Campbell has several behavioral health clinics for soldiers and family members, but psychiatrists and social workers are now also assigned to each brigade to foster a better relationship with commanders and soldiers.
Schnellbacher said other Army posts may track issues like suicides or stress, but Fort Campbell's initiative is different because it uses the teams to proactively help and treat soldiers.
Under the new structure, each brigade has a team of doctors, chaplains, legal officers and social workers who meet regularly to discuss individual soldiers who have shown signs of trouble, such as a messy divorce or a recent arrest. They also track problem trends in the brigades, such as rates of alcohol or substance abuse.
The military is looking carefully at risky behaviors like these that can be warning signs of more severe problems. Fort Campbell has had 18 confirmed or suspected suicides since the beginning of the year, while other installations are dealing with a rash of violent acts such as homicide. Incidents like the mass shooting at Fort Hood, an attack where the motive remains unclear, emphasize the need to pay close attention to troubled soldiers.
Lt. Col. Michael Wirt, 2nd Brigade Combat Team's surgeon and coordinator of their Brigade Resiliency Team, said having different team members actively working within the brigade makes it easier to spot problems before they become serious.
"The command may not be aware that that soldier was having that problem and it provides the command an avenue to be more proactive with the soldier," Wirt said.
Most of the team members would also deploy with the brigades during tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, Wirt said.
Schnellbacher said in the Army, as in the civilian world, people are still resistant to seeking out behavioral health care, so they are looking for new ways to make it more informal and protect soldiers' privacy.
One member of the new team is called a military family life consultant, a licensed therapist who can talk to soldiers completely off the record. It's not considered treatment for a condition and it allows soldiers to be more honest, he said.
"They call it 'motorpool counseling,'" said Schnellbacher. "They will meet the soldier at the motorpool, or off post at the Starbucks."
The team can also help soldiers who are returning to a brigade after being treated for a behavioral health problem, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. The team will be able to track recovery and help commanders learn how to care for that soldier, Wirt said.
"Since the institution of the program, the soldiers are more proactively seeking out help and there's been more soldiers coming to see our behavioral health specialist," Wirt said.
Wirt said getting all the battalion leaders together once a month to discuss behavioral health issues in their units helps reduce fears among their soldiers that they will face criticism for admitting a problem.

"The command has really embraced this program and it's one of the priorities of our brigade commander," Wirt said.

Wirt said he's seeing more soldiers take part in programs provided by the chaplain, such as financial aid classes.

"The soldiers are really looking to participate when they need it and that's been a very encouraging sign," he said.

SEOUL (Reuters) –
South Korea's Unification Ministry dismissed rumors Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had been attacked and killed, which prompted financial markets to slide briefly in what one analyst said was a reflection of fragile sentiment.

"That's the first I've heard of this," ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said when asked about rumors Kim was dead. "I haven't heard anything about it."

Kim is suspected to have suffered a stroke in August last year and was out of the public eye for months before re-emerging looking gaunt and markedly thinner.

His illness bred speculation that one of his sons was being groomed to take over power in the reclusive communist state. South Korean officials have said Kim has recovered and is conducting normal state activities with a firm grip on power.

North Korea's official media have reported him on field guidance tours throughout the country in recent months.

"There were rumors that Kim Jong-il was dead, sent around by some unreliable reports, but I have to say this is nonsense," said Lee Sun-yeop, a market analyst at Shinhan Investment Corporation. "However the fact that markets reacted, albeit briefly, implies that sentiment is fragile."

(Reporting by Jack Kim and Jungyoun Park; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner and Bill Tarrant)

NEW YORK – Mike Rupp shook off a leg injury in the third period, snapped a tie with his second goal of the night, and then completed his first NHL hat trick to help the Pittsburgh Penguins break a long losing streak at Madison Square Garden and sweep a home-and-home series from the New York Rangers with a 5-2 victory on Monday night.
Rupp's first goal gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead in the second period and his second made it 3-2 with 8:46 remaining. Rupp left the ice for the dressing room about 5 1/2 minutes earlier after he banged his left leg against the boards after being hit from behind by Dan Girardi.
Rupp scored into an empty net with 1:40 remaining to give him a career-high eight goals.
Marian Gaborik scored both Rangers goals to push his NHL-leading total to 21.

WASHINGTON – The couple who crashed the Obama administration's first state dinner communicated with a senior Pentagon official about going to the event, but the official denies that she helped the couple get in.
Michele Jones, a special assistant to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said in a written statement issued through the White House on Monday evening that she never said or implied she would get Michaele and Tareq Salahi into the Nov. 24 White House dinner.
"I specifically stated that they did not have tickets and in fact that I did not have the authority to authorize attendance, admittance or access to any part of the evening's activities," Jones said. "Even though I informed them of this, they still decided to come."
This is the latest twist in the unfolding mystery of how the two reality show wannabes managed to get into the highly secured event and shake hands with President Barack Obama. Also on Monday, a House committee chairman asked the couple, Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan and White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers to testify at a hearing Thursday on the incident.
The White House issued Jones' statement after questions were raised about communications between the administration and the couple prior to the dinner.
A friend of the couple, McLean, Va., real estate agent Casey Margenau, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the couple interpreted an e-mail exchange as permission to attend the exclusive party. Margenau said he did not personally see the e-mails and did not know with whom the couple was corresponding.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he wants answers about the Secret Service's security deficiencies that allowed the Salahis to attend the dinner. A White House photo showed the Salahis in the receiving line in the Blue Room with Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in whose honor the dinner was held. Obama and Michaele Salahi are smiling as she grasps his right hand with both of hers and her husband looks on. Singh is to Obama's left.
"This is a time for answers," Thompson said in a statement Monday. "This is not the time for political games or scapegoating to distract our attention from the careful oversight we must apply to the Secret Service and its mission."
Some lawmakers have called for criminal charges to be brought against the couple, but the Secret Service has not yet decided whether to refer the case for criminal prosecution.
The Secret Service declined to comment on whether Sullivan would testify on Thursday.
On Friday, Sullivan issued a statement saying that his agency is "deeply concerned and embarrassed" by the circumstances.
Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said the couple was not on the approved list for the party, but they were allowed in. "This should not have occurred," Donovan said.
"The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list," Sullivan said Friday. "Although these individuals went through magnetometers and other levels of screening, they should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely. That failing is ours."
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday the president shares the Secret Service director's concern about the incident.
"That's why there's an investigation," Gibbs said.
Gibbs said the president was not concerned about his safety and continues to have faith in the Secret Service.
The ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security committee, Rep. Peter King of New York, also said there needs to be an investigation into what happened. King said he wants to be sure the hearing does not give away Secret Service operations or methods that could tip someone off how to get into the White House. King said he's been to at least 40 invitation-only events at the White House — including two state dinners — and security has always been tight and thorough.
The Salahis have boasted about going to the state dinner on their Facebook page: "Honored to be at the White House for the state dinner in honor of India with President Obama and our First Lady!" they wrote.

Michaele Salahi is a reality TV hopeful trying to get on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of D.C."

The couple's publicist, Mahogany Jones, could not immediately be reached for comment about whether the Salahis would testify Thursday. But earlier Monday, Mahogany Jones said allegations that the Salahis are shopping interviews and demanding money from television networks to tell their story are false.

Mahogany Jones said the couple is not making any formal comments or arrangements to speak with the media. An appearance previously scheduled for Monday night on CNN's "Larry King Live" has been canceled.

A TV executive who spoke on condition of anonymity to publicly discuss bookings had told The Associated Press that the couple's representatives had urged networks to "get their bids in" for an interview.

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Associated Press writers Julie Pace and Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.

NEW YORK – Retail Web sites kept amping up the deals Monday, the first day after Thanksgiving weekend's strong online sales, to try to maintain the momentum.
Meanwhile, a research firm that tracks business at stores reported tepid sales and customer traffic for Friday and Saturday that confirmed a so-so start to the season for the bricks-and-mortar world.
Though the Web is only about 10 percent of the holiday shopping pie, it's seen most of the growth so far this year — an encouraging sign after last year's first online sales decline.
Coremetrics, a Web analytics company in San Mateo, Calif., said that as of 1 p.m. Monday, sales for the day that the industry still pitches as "Cyber Monday" were up 19.6 percent over a year ago.
The bright spot offers hope after traditional retail sales came in just above flat for Black Friday, with shoppers packing stores but sticking to their lists, going for deep discounts and practical items.
Investors voted with their dollars, rewarding online sellers. Amazon.com shares rose $4.17, or 3.2 percent, to $135.91 on a day when stocks of most traditional retailers fell as Wall Street analyzed the sea of data and anecdotal reports from the weekend.
ShopperTrak, which is based in Chicago and tracks sales and traffic at more than 50,000 outlets, said late Monday that retail sales for Friday and Saturday edged up 0.9 percent to $16.77 billion, while customer traffic fell 2.7 percent compared with last year. According to ShopperTrak, U.S. traffic slipped 2.5 percent on Friday, compared with an 18 percent drop in the year-ago period. Traffic fell 3.2 percent Saturday, compared with a 17 percent drop a year ago.
ShopperTrak derives its estimates from crowd-counting sensors in stores, combined with data from the retailers themselves on spending and how it relates to customer traffic.
The ShopperTrak results contrast with a report Sunday from the National Retail Federation on its poll indicating that more shoppers flocked to stores but each spent less than last year.
The dueling assessments show the difficulty of gathering and interpreting holiday weekend results. A fuller picture won't be known until Thursday, when major retailers report November sales figures.
Deeply discounted electronics such as flat-screen TVs, game systems and netbooks were popular, but more practical items such as appliances and home decor were also big sellers, as consumers took advantage of sales to buy things for themselves.
Many shoppers started looking for online deals ahead of what the industry still pitches as "Cyber Monday," as retailers stretched their online deals over several days.
Target, Walmart, Amazon.com and other retailers started offering the online equivalent of Black Friday specials on Thanksgiving or even earlier.
They stepped it up Monday. Amazon.com was discounting the Apple iPod Touch 8GB for $158, $20 less than Sunday and $40 off the retail price of about $200. Target.com offered a deal Monday for a Garmin GPS system for $186.99, down from $249.99. Free shipping was also prevalent.
Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at market research firm NPD Group, said this year saw the "graying of Black Friday," because deals that typically occurred only on the Friday after Thanksgiving have been spread out over two weeks.
"The holiday spread itself out," he said. "On Thanksgiving Day, there's a new tradition, shopping online before you stuff the turkey, putting the turkey in oven and going out shopping."
The Monday after Thanksgiving is usually far from the busiest online shopping day of the year, but it is typically one of the 10 busiest. It was dubbed "Cyber Monday" by the National Retail Federation trade group in 2005 to describe the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday.
The thinking was that shoppers who lacked broadband Internet access at home would wait until returning to work to look online. Now that most homes have broadband, that rationale has faded.

Analysts expect Dec. 14, the last day consumers can order goods and have them arrive before Christmas, will be the busiest online shopping day.

Keith Harris, 36, an IT consultant for Hewlett-Packard, went out Friday for in-store sales, but he waited until Monday to buy a Playstation 3 because Walmart.com offered it at the best price on Monday — in a bundle with two games and a movie, for $369.

"You're looking for that once-in-a-lifetime deal," he said.

Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru predicts online holiday sales will rise 8 percent to $44.7 billion. So far, the weekend results are "strong reinforcement of how Web sales continue to outpace store sales," she said. Online sales account for about 7 percent of retailers' total sales, though that increases to about 10 percent during the holidays, according to Forrester.

Scott Savitz, CEO of Shoebuy.com, one of the largest online shoe retailers, reported that traffic has been robust since Thanksgiving. He expects that Black Friday, not the Monday after Thanksgiving as it had in past years, will mark the first big surge in sales and traffic for his site.

"There is definitely a behavioral shift," said Savitz. "Clearly, people are seeing that Black Friday will be the start of the holiday season, no matter whether you are online or offline."

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Associated Press Writer Anne D'Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report.