He was mistaken about that, and the controversy over his custody could last for months. Last week congressional Republicans came close to introducing a bill to declare Elian an honorary U.S. citizen–then backed down, perhaps because national polls are running heavily in favor of sending him home. In Miami, legal maneuvering by Elian’s relatives shifted to federal court, where the Clinton administration argued that law and morality require his repatriation to Cuba....
Now the Justice Department, armed with documents from the companies’ own research on nicotine, is set to challenge the industry. Last week federal prosecutors in New York opened a criminal investigation into possible securities-fraud charges against Philip Morris. Reportedly, a second grand-jury probe in Washington is expected to investigate perjury charges against at least one executive. Contacted by NEWSWEEK for comment, Philip Morris acknowledged that company records have been subpoenaed for the New York probe; the other companies either declined to answer questions or said they had no knowledge of an investigation....
Gina Satriano was the first girl to play Little League in California. Now, at 28, she’s a pioneer all over again. A deputy district attorney in Compton, Calif., she took a leave-and gave up her first murder case-to pitch for the Colorado Silver Bullets, the first women’s professional baseball team to compete only against men. “My gut took only half a minute to decide,” she says. “I can be a lawyer for the rest of my life, but I can’t do baseball forever....
The Background Sexy Star and Rosemary had a very controversial incident at AAA’s TripleMania. After the match was over Sexy Star seemed to keep on her submission hold and Rosemary was left with a dislocated arm. The heart of the matter Sexy Star released a four-page response to the allegations against her concerning Rosemary’s injury at TripleMania. You can read the entire transcription here but we’ve covered the highlights below....
Aakarshi Kashyap is participating in the Mexican International Challenge badminton tournament which will begin on Thursday at Aguascalientes in Mexico. The five-day tournament is being organized by Badminton Pan Am under the auspices of the Badminton World Federation (BWF). World No. 103 Aakarshi has been given the fifth seeding in the women’s singles. The 32-player main draw women’s singles section is dominated by the European and American players. Aakarshi, who turned 20 on August 24, will play a qualifier in the first round on Thursday....
Speaking at Economic Editors’ Conference Sibal said, “Hopefully on November 11, you will see the President talking to 20,000 students from across the nation, who will have their hands on Aakash.” He further added that the Indian government is in the process of creating a Cabinet note for manufacturing of 5 million Aakash tablets without putting a financial burden on the Ministry of Finance. The tablet was first launched last year to bridge digital divide in the country....
Judge Susan Garsh has approved a request by Hernandez defense attorney James Sultan to question the woman under oath. Shortly after Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Odin Lloyd Jr., the woman contacted Sultan and said she had information that one of the jurors who sat on the case had violated the judge’s instructions by discussing the separate double murder case against Hernandez in Boston....
James Sultan tested his comedic skills Thursday while cross-examining Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Timothy Dowd. Sultan asked Dowd about tire tracks that were found at the crime scene. Sultan inquired if Dowd had training in tire deflation devices. Here’s what came next, via The Boston Globe. MORE: Boston PD joked about tire inflation | Esiason blames Colts, Ravens for Deflate-gate | Hernandez timeline ZING! Video of the wisecrack didn’t pick up any laughs from the crowd....
Reporters for the NFL Network have also claimed the reigning NFL MVP is unvaccinated. ESPN said sources confirmed the same about Rodgers’ vaccination status to them. During an August press conference, Rodgers was asked if he was vaccinated, and he answered that he was “immunized.” “You know, there’s a lot of conversation around it, around the league, and a lot of guys who have made statements and not made statements, owners who have made statements,” Rodgers said in August when asked about vaccinations....
At Lambeau Field, a fan decided to yell a disparaging remark about Muslims during the moment of silence before the Lions played the Packers. After the Lions’ 18-16 win, which was the team’s first victory in Wisconsin since 1991, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was asked about the fan’s outburst. MORE: Worst performances from Week 10 | Rob Ryan’s seat heats up after Saints’ loss to Washington Rodgers said the moment of silence was important and was not pleased with the fan’s disrespectful exclamation....
Similar to a baseball player trying to test his lead off first base, Rodgers has been trying to stretch the abilities of his receivers, almost quite literally. MORE: Legendary Lambeau Field in photos | Why another Rodgers also embodies Packers “That’s what camp is all about, sorting those things out,” Rodgers said, via the Packers’ official website. “Seeing who’s going to be sticking around for the season and who’s going to be looking for a job....
As secretary of state, Scott will also serve in the role of Chief Election Officer for Texas. In a press release from Abbott’s office, the election position is described as one who assists county election officials to ensure “the uniform application and interpretation of election laws throughout Texas.” “John Scott is a proven leader with a passion for public service, and his decades of experience in election law and litigation make him the ideal choice for the Texas Secretary of State,” Governor Abbott said in a statement....
Zee, 41, the chief meteorologist for ABC News, retweeted a person who told her: “Mrs Zee it’s time to do something with your hair.” The person then added a red love heart emoji. Posting a photo of her on the job behind the news desk with her hair shoulder length in loose waves, she showed her 2.2 million followers that she won’t stand for trolling. “What should be done exactly?...
At a few seconds before 10, the cocktail-party chatter was quickly hushed, and soon forgotten, as the nine justices appeared on the elevated bench and the arguments began. Ninety long, combative minutes later, the early predictions that the court would bring quick finality to the election mess seemed unlikely indeed. So did the confident assertions by the Gore camp and so many legal “experts” that the justices would slap down Bush’s case and side overwhelmingly with the Florida Supreme Court–paving the way for more recounts that might put the vice president over the top....
The momentousness of the handover is widely misunderstood. June 30 marks the first time since the 1945 Yalta Conference that any territory anywhere in the world has been turned over to a communist regime without a fight. The consequences are serious - to lose one for freedom after a decade of consecutive victories. Yet the anticipation of some cataclysm is misplaced. When the sun finally sets on the last major outpost of the British Empire, it won’t be dark but twilight, a time of painful adjustments and long goodbyes....
But the evening headed south not long after first snap of the football. NBC briefly lost electrical power, robbing viewers of five touchdowns between the L.A. Xtremes and Chicago Enforcers. Then the game dragged on into double overtime, pushing back “SNL’s” start by 45 minutes. Ebersol could only hope that fans were glued to their sets for the exciting finish. But they weren’t. The ratings for XFL plummeted. And for days after, the media chewed over NBC’s fumbles....
While publicly decrying the attacks, however, Huckabee has done nothing else to stop them. In fact, Patrick Davis, executive director of Common Sense Issues, the group behind the calls, told NEWSWEEK that he’s had no contact at all with the Huckabee campaign. Davis said his group is “helping to define the issues” and that it may launch a new wave of robo-calls during the run-up to contests in Florida and key Super Tuesday states....
Anthropologist Dan Gebo and colleagues report on this and other finds from a quarry in China in the Journal of Human Evolution and last week’s issue of Nature. Gebo’s team also found bones from extinct mammals called Eosimias at the quarry. These creatures resemble prosimians, but they’re the oldest-known members of the “anthropoid” primate branch–the group that includes monkeys, apes and humans. That makes Eosimias a crucial link in human evolution....
DON’T EXPECT A REPEAT OF THE 1980 cold-war nail-biter, but the Games should be good. Russia is the morning line favorite. The U.S. squad has no NHL stars; it’s fast, though, and primed with several former Olympians. In pre-playoff games, Team U.S.A. meets two other medal contenders, Canada (THURS., FEB. 17) and Sweden (SAT., FEB. 19). The championship, which may include the Czech team, is on SUN., FEB. 27....
