text:
Save up to $100 during Early Registration!
Hartford Baseball Camp
Camp Location
Ohio County HS
1400 S. Main St.
Hartford, KY 42347
Camp Dates
Sun: Feb. 12, 19, 26; Mar. 5
Camp Details
Ohio County High School head coach Ben Everly will direct the program in conjunction with U.S. Baseball Academy. Classes are available for players in grades 1-12 and are limited to seven players per coach. Sessions are offered in advanced hitting, pitching, catching, fielding and baserunning. Space is limited.
About U.S. Baseball Academy
At U.S. Baseball Academy Spring Training, players learn from some of the area's top high school and college coaches. Hitting, fielding/baserunning and catcher sessions are offered through grade 12, including special sessions for girls fastpitch softball at some locations. Pitching sessions (baseball only) are offered for grades 1 through 8.
This is not a lecture clinic. With a low player-coach ratio, each hitter and pitcher gets individual attention in a small-group atmosphere for ninety minutes per week. An average hitting session includes about 30 players with six or seven experienced and professionally trained coaches. Pitching and catching sessions have smaller numbers and the same player-coach ratio. And with numerous age-specific sessions, instruction is specially tailored for each ability level. Overall, it's the type of intense, professional instruction that young players don't normally have access to.
With tuition as low as $99 for the whole four-week program, the value is unrivaled. Our Triple Play special gets your choice of three skill sessions (hitting, pitching, catching or fielding/baserunning), for just $99 per skill for the whole four-week program, 18 instructional hours in all. You can choose four weeks of one skill for just $139, and add a second four-week skill session for just $99.Learn More


text: Politics & Government Stories about politics and government actions In this morning's news... By Zoe Clark • Jan 19, 2011 SOS Tonight Governor Rick Snyder will deliver his first State of the State address to a joint session of the Michigan Legislature this evening in Lansing. Though details of the speech haven't been released we do know it's expected to last about 40 minutes and that Snyder doesn't plan to read from prepared text. Instead, Snyder will go by a series of notes. Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer will deliver the Democratic response. You can hear live coverage of the address, the Democratic response, and analysis of the evening beginning at 7 p.m. on Michigan Radio. Snyder Meets with MEA Governor Rick Snyder met yesterday with the Michigan Education Association (MEA) teachers union. The union presented Snyder with a plan that includes expanding the sales tax to services to raise more money for schools, Laura Weber reports. Governor Snyder has said he wants to reform Michigan's tax structure but that now is not the time to expand the state's sales tax. Iris Salters, the Director of the MEA teachers union, said she was glad the new Governor met with her group. Vote on Health Care Law The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a repeal of the new health care law later today. It's expected that the Republican-led House will vote to repeal the bill but, even if that does happen, the Democratic-led U.S. Senate is not expected to take it up in their chamber. Michigan's Attorney General has joined many other states arguing that parts of the new health care law are unconstitutional. So far, one federal court in Michigan ruled in favor of the law, while another federal court in Virginia ruled against it, Mark Brush reports. New poll shows favorable opinion of Snyder By Zoe Clark • Jan 19, 2011 Photo courtesy of www.governorelectricksnyder.com A new poll shows 59 percent of likely Michigan voters hold a favorable opinion of Governor Rick Snyder. The poll was released on the eve of Snyder's first State of the State address. Nine percent of likely voters say they have an unfavorable opinion of the new governor. When asked, 41 percent of respondents said they think Michigan is not headed in the right direction, 39 percent said it is. The results of the poll have a margin of sampling area of four percentage points. Activists speak out in favor of health care law By Mark Brush • Jan 18, 2011 In what's been called a symbolic move, the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a repeal of the new health care law this week (maybe tomorrow). It's symbolic because the law isn't likely to be repealed. A vote isn't expected to come up in the Senate, and even if a repeal bill DID pass the Senate, President Obama would more than likely veto it. Laura Weber, of the Michigan Public Radio Network, spoke with supporters of the federal health care law. Suburbs seek more control over Detroit Water and Sewerage Dept. By Mark Brush • Jan 18, 2011 Mark Brush / Michigan Radio The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department serves more than just the City of Detroit. It's water and sewer lines stretch beyond the city's boundaries and into the surrounding suburbs and communities. The Detroit Free Press reports that Rep. Kurt Heise will introduce a bill that will give the suburbs more say in how the department is managed. From the article: Under the proposal, the city would retain ownership of the 1,075-square-mile system, but the 126 communities and 4 million people who use its water and sewage services would be represented by a regional authority that manages contracts, water rates and future projects. Members of Detroit City Council are reportedly in Lansing today lobbying against the bill. Council President, Charles Pugh, is quoted as saying: "We are willing to have a regional discussion, but when the discussion is over, Detroit will still own and control the system. We built out the system, and we have a right to maintain control of it. Anything less than that is illegal." You can see how far Detroit's sewer and water lines stretch into outlying communities on the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department's page. State of the State: A History By Zoe Clark • Jan 18, 2011 Tomorrow Governor Rick Snyder will deliver his first state of the state speech to a joint session of the legislature and a statewide television audience. I've seen a lot of these speeches, and believe this may be the most eagerly anticipated one ever. Michigan is stuck in twin enormous economic crises, one affecting state government, which has a perennial massive deficit, and the other affecting hundreds of thousands without jobs. Governor Snyder is brand new, and we are still getting to know him. We want to have a better sense of who he is, and, especially, how he plans to get us out of the mess we're in. But all this got me wondering: Who was the first governor ever to give a state-of-the state speech? The first I remember was Governor Milliken, but how far back did the tradition go before him? I knew that in the old days, governors just sent an annual written message to the legislature. U.S. Presidents used to do the same, until Woodrow Wilson started the tradition of showing up at the capitol and delivering a speech in person. Since then, almost every president has done so. But who was the first governor to do so? I asked Bill Ballenger, the publisher of Inside Michigan Politics. "Wow," he said. "I don't know." AP: No text copy of Gov. Snyder's State of the State speech By Mark Brush • Jan 18, 2011 Corvair Owner / Flickr What's the "State of the State"? We'll all find out what the new governor thinks tomorrow night, but not before. The Associated Press reports: Gov. Rick Snyder will deliver his first State of the State address Wednesday, but he won't be putting out a written copy of the speech. His spokesman says the new Republican governor doesn't tend to work off a prepared text, so there's no written copy to release. The governor's office also doesn't expect to provide a transcript of the 7 p.m. speech immediately after Snyder delivers it at the Capitol. The talk will focus on economic development and job creation and is expected to be about 40 minutes long. It will be broadcast live statewide. Former Govs. Jennifer Granholm and John Engler usually released embargoed copies of their remarks before their State of the State speeches. Their speeches also were posted online after they spoke. You can hear a live-broadcast of tomorrow night's "State of the State" on Michigan Radio starting at 7 p.m. Pay close attention! In this morning's news... By Zoe Clark • Jan 18, 2011 A Trashy Story Senator Debbie Stabenow announced yesterday that Michigan is no longer receiving Ontario's municipal trash. The Democratic senator credited an agreement that she and Senator Carl Levin made with Ontario officials in 2006. However, Canadian garbage could still be shipped into the state as the agreement doesn't apply to non-municipal trash. As Sarah Cwiek reports, commercial and industrial waste accounts for about 60-percent of the trash that's shipped from Canada to Michigan. NAIAS Sees Increase in Visitors Attendance is up at the North American International Auto Show so far this year, the Detroit Free Press reports. The Freep says: Attendance Monday was 64,520, up from 61,112 from the same day last year, said NAIAS spokesman Sam Locricchio. On opening day Saturday, 86,622 attended the show, compared with 83,715 on the opening Saturday last year, he said. Sunday's attendance was 99,111 -- up from 96,623 for the opening Sunday in 2010, he said. DSO, Management Back to Bargaining Table The Detroit Symphony Orchestra musicians and the DSO's management are headed back into negotiations. The players have been on strike since Oct. 4th. Both sides have submitted new proposals that revolve around a $36 million compensation package, Jennifer Guerra reports. Neither side has publicly commented on the new proposals. The DSO reported an $8.8 million budget deficit for the 2010 fiscal year. Ice, Sleet, and Snow (Oh, My) Drivers should prepare for an icy commute this morning across the state. Forecasters are predicting rain, freezing rain and snowfall in many parts of west, mid, and southeast Michigan. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 11 a.m. today for much of west and mid-Michigan and until noon for parts of the southeast. Temps are expected to be in the low to mid 30s. Bill to repeal Driver Responsibility Fee is expected this week By Zoe Clark • Jan 18, 2011 Terry Johnston / Flickr A bill that would repeal Michigan's unpopular Driver Responsibility Fee is expected to be introduced in the state Senate this week, Laura Weber Reports. The annual fee goes to Michigan drivers who have seven or more points on their license. A repeal of the fee was approved by the state House last year but it stalled in the state Senate. Democratic state Senator Bert Johnson says most lawmakers want to get rid of the fee, but don't want to lose the money it brings in to the state, Weber reports. Living the Dream By Jack Lessenberry • Jan 17, 2011 Last week I talked to a woman in an accounting office about an issue involving an electronic tax payment. "I'll take care of that Monday," she told me. "I don't think you can," I said. "Monday is the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday." "What?" she said. "Oh, that. I don't celebrate that," she said with a tone of annoyance. It wasn't her holiday, she wanted me to know, and she thought it was highly inappropriate for anybody to get a day off, and for government offices and banks to be closed. You won't be surprised to learn that she wasn't African-American. Nor that she didn't know much, really, about Dr. Martin Luther King. However, I'm not sure that a lot of the people who do enthusiastically celebrate it know much about him either. In this morning's news... By Zoe Clark • Jan 17, 2011 Awaiting the SOS Governor Rick Snyder delivers his first State of the State address on Wednesday night to a joint session of the Michigan Legislature. There's a lot of anticipation for details about how the governor plans to revive the state's economy but, Snyder is not expected to give specific plans for the state budget until next month, Laura Weber reports. Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer will deliver the Democratic response after Governor Snyder's address. UAW Members to D.C. Some 1,000 members of the United Auto Workers union will be in Washington, D.C. today for the beginning of a four-day conference. The UAW says attendees will discuss the union's legislative and political priorities for the coming year and prepare for the 2012 electoral campaign. The meeting will open with a speech from UAW President Bob King and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA-D) is also expected to speak. Remembering MLK, Jr. Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The day, which falls on the third Monday of each January, is a federal holiday that marks the January 15th birthday of Dr. King. Mark Brush has a nice piece this morning that explores the legacy of Dr. King, particularly in the light of the Arizona shooting that killed 6 and injured U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords among others. Brush is asking for your thoughts about the day and it what means to you. The legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. online By Mark Brush • Jan 17, 2011 Library of Congress The recent attempt on Representative Gabrielle Giffords life sparked new debate about the state of public discourse in our country. How could this have happened? What does this type of violence say about us? Have we reached a breaking point? As the news rolled in, and it appears the violence might have been the work of a mad-man, hearts were still broken, but there seemed to be some relief that the act seemed less about our politics, and more about a lost soul. Events like these are unsettling, and it often makes me wonder what it was like for Americans when the violence was more directly tied to our political discourse. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King was shot and killed in Memphis in 1968. Violent riots followed in what surely must've felt like an unraveling of American society. Countdown to Snyder's first State of the State address By Zoe Clark • Jan 17, 2011 Corvair Owner / Flickr Governor Rick Snyder will deliver his first State of the State address to a joint session of the state Legislature on Wednesday evening. Laura Weber is in Lansing and sent this report: Governor Snyder is expected to focus his speech on Michigan's economic future. But the governor is not expected to give specific plans for the state budget until next month. Democratic House Minority Leader Richard Hammel says he has not heard enough details yet from Snyder. I mean, there's been a whole lot of talk about moving Michigan forward, and not looking in the rearview mirror and reinventing Michigan, and I think that's wonderful. We all feel that way. But we're waiting for details before we can really react. Snyder has said all areas of state government will be considered for further budget cuts to close a nearly $2 billion dollar estimated deficit. Dr. Dre's "Detroit Controversy" goes to Michigan Supreme Court By Steve Carmody • Jan 16, 2011 screen grab of YouTube video This Wednesday, the Michigan Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that may determine if police officers have an expectation of privacy when they are doing their jobs. It all started with a video. Detroit city police and members of former Mayor Dennis Archer's staff wanted to prevent a sexually explicit video from being played at a Dr. Dre concert in July 2000. A camera crew for the rapper videotaped police officers saying they would pull the plug on the concert. Former police officer, and current Detroit City Council president pro-tem Gary Brown, is seen on the video saying "we're going to shut this show down." Eventually, Dr Dre decided not to show the video police were concerned about. But the video of the police officers making their threats was put onto a concert DVD. Thanks to YouTube user "snoopfroggydogg," you can see the "Detroit Controversy" videos here (WARNING: they contain images and words not suitable for younger viewers): Detroit city officials sued, claiming the DVD makers violated Michigan's anti-eavesdropping law by putting the video on the DVD without their permission. The city officials and police officers claim their privacy was invaded by being videotaped and the video being shown publicly. Attorney Herschel Fink represents the DVD's producers. He says police officers have no 'right to privacy when they're doing their job: "I think the very essence of law enforcement is transparency...and I think this case has implications for mainstream news gathering and not just private citizens who are videotaping police berating them which was the case here." Lower courts have tended to side with the DVD producers. Detroit city council rejects plan for new police headquarters By Steve Carmody • Jan 14, 2011 A dispute over who controls Detroit's cable TV public access channel may have, at least temporarily, derailed plans for the city's new police headquarters. Elections begin this morning for RNC Chairmanship By Zoe Clark • Jan 14, 2011 Photo courtesy of www.thatssaulfolks.com Former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis is in for a busy day today. Anuzis is running to become the next Chairman of the Republican National Committee, a job currently held by Michael Steele. The committee is holding the elections this morning outside of Washington, D.C.. The Detroit News reports that: Anuzis is one of five candidates running. He lost his last bid to become chairman two years ago to Michael Steele, the former Maryland lieutenant governor whose tenure has been marked by questions of fiscal mismanagement. Steele is running again, though he's not expected to win. ABC News reports: RNC officials said there was no way of knowing how long the voting will take. Friday's general session begins at 10:30 a.m. ET and the official meeting schedule lists 8 p.m. ET as the estimated end time. Whoever wins will inherit committee hobbled by financial difficulties, including debt in the range of $15 million or more. Anuzis announced his campaign last November when he sent a letter to the RNC membership. In the letter, Anuzis explained why he decided to run: This is an exciting time to be a Republican and, as leaders, we have an awesome task ahead of us. The American people have given us a second chance' and that opportunity brings with it huge responsibility and challenge. Now we turn our attention to 2012. America must elect a new President. It is that hope, that necessity, that challenge, that draws me to announce my candidacy for the Chairmanship of the Republican National Committee. House lawmakers introduce 85 proposals, half-dozen resolutions By Zoe Clark • Jan 14, 2011 On the first day that Michigan lawmakers were allowed to submit legislative proposals, legislators in the state House introduced 85 bills and a half-dozen resolutions. As the Associated Press reports: The first bill introduced Thursday would repeal a surcharge on the Michigan Business Tax. It's likely to pass as part of a broader, still-developing plan to reshape business taxes. Other proposals would repeal Michigan's mandatory motorcycle helmet law in some circumstances and eliminate caps on the number of charter schools. State lawmakers began the 2011 legislative session on Wednesday by taking the oath of office and officially announcing new legislative leaders. Estimating the state's finances By Zoe Clark • Jan 14, 2011 Tracy O / Flickr Lately, you've probably heard or read a Michigan Radio story that includes this number: 1,800,000,000. In case you haven't had your morning coffee yet... that's 1.8 billion. Economic forecasters predict Michigan's budget, for the fiscal year that begins October 1st, is $1.8 billion in the red. However, later today, that figure could change. That's because economists are meeting today for what's called a "revenue estimating conference" at the state Capitol. The economists will come up with an estimate of just how much money the state can expect to receive through the next fiscal year. As the state's website explains: The Revenue Estimating Conference held each January is a major part of the budget process. During the conference, national and state economic indicators are used to formulate an accurate prediction of revenue available for appropriation in the upcoming fiscal year. This conference first convened in 1992, pursuant to Act No. 72 of the Public Acts of 1991. The principal participants in the conference are the State Budget Director and the Directors of the Senate and House Fiscal Agencies or their respective designees. Other participants may include the Governor and senior officials from the Department of Treasury. Michigan's new Speaker of the House calls for welfare caps By Rina Miller • Jan 13, 2011 Michigan House Republicans Jase Bolger, Michigan's new Speaker of the House, says he wants to see a four-year cap on certain welfare benefits in the state. Bolger took the gavel for the first time on Wednesday, but the Republican speaker wasted no time outlining changes he wants to make in the state. One of them would be limiting Bridge card recipients to a maximum of four years of lifetime benefits. The bridge card provides food - which is federally funded - and some cash assistance. Bolger says the state could save $45 million immediately with a cap on benefits: We want to help people break the cycle of dependency... government should not create that cycle. And that's what happens. People get caught in that system, and it's not good for the human spirit. People want the opportunity to provide for themselves, and that's what we want to help them do. Bolger says he wants the four-year benefit allowance to be enforced retroactively. He also wants to go after businesses that participate in welfare fraud. Former MI Congressman Bart Stupak gets Harvard fellowship By Zoe Clark • Jan 13, 2011 Former Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak will be heading to Harvard University this spring for a resident fellowship. As the Detroit Free Press reports: Stupak, a Democrat from Menominee in the Upper Peninsula, retired from office this year at the end of his ninth 2-year term. As a resident fellow this spring, he and the other five people selected will meet with students, participate in activities with the Harvard community and lead weekly study groups on a range of topics. As Politico notes, Stupak, "didn't much enjoy his intense moment at the center of the health care fight and didn't seek re-election." Waiting for the Governor By Zoe Clark • Jan 13, 2011 The new legislature convened for the first time yesterday, nearly two weeks after their terms began. They posed for pictures and elected officers. They officially announced who would have what positions on which committees. These are all things that had been worked out days or weeks before. What then followed was sort of the equivalent of lining up their pencils and making sure they are sharpened. To a great extent, they are waiting for the governor. That is to say, they are waiting for Rick Snyder to set forth his program and put forward his proposals for balancing the state budget. In this morning's news... By Zoe Clark • Jan 13, 2011 The 96th State Legislature Convenes New and returning lawmakers were in Lansing yesterday for the first day of the 2011 Legislative session. Lawmakers took the oath of office, elected legislative leaders, and even chose desks. Lawmakers are not expected to do much work at the Capitol before Governor Rick Snyder delivers his first State of the State address Wednesday evening. The Republican governor and Republican-led Senate and House face a projected $1.8 billion dollar budget shortfall for the fiscal year that begins October 1st. Michiganders Continue to Leave State United Van Lines has released its 34th annual migration study and it shows Michigan ranked second in outboard traffic in the country. Of the 7,186 moves United Van Lines logged in Michigan in 2010, 62% of them were leaving the state, Mark Brush reports. From the study: Outbound traffic from the Great Lakes region continued to lead the nation in 2010 with four states capturing high-outbound rankings. Western states that had traditionally experienced high-inbound traffic, most notably Nevada, saw their traffic level off. Tougher Tests? The Michigan Board of Education is considering tough new performance requirements on the state's MEAP and merit exams. The new requirements would be the last step in a plan the state has been working on for the last seven years, Joseph Martineau, with the Michigan Department of Education, told reporter Rina Miller. "It really is time for us to look at the end result of K-12 education being readiness for college and career, and not readiness to perform in what we might term the old manufacturing economy," Martineau said. The 96th Legislature in headlines By Zoe Clark • Jan 13, 2011 Cedar Bend Drive / Flickr Michigan lawmakers began the state's 96th legislative session yesterday in Lansing. We take a quick look at what the headlines across the state have to say about the Legislature's first day: The new Legislature is now in session - The Detroit Free Press Republicans take over Lansing - The Detroit News Optimism grips Michigan Legislature on first day - Lansing State Journal Budget, economy top themes as the 96th Michigan Legislature meet - The Associated Press During their first day in session, lawmakers took the oath of office and elected legislative leaders. Bing sues City Council over public-access TV By Rina Miller • Jan 12, 2011 There's a tug of war over control of Detroit's public access television channels. Mayor Dave Bing wants to expand programming, but City Council says the service is fine as it is. Mayor Bing is suing the Detroit City Council because it voted to give itself control over the city's public access TV programming. The channels are used mostly to broadcast and re-run council meetings. Bing says the resource could be better used. Councilman Kwame Kenyatta says the mayor's suit is disrespectful of council. Bing spokeswoman Karen Dumas disagrees. New and returning state lawmakers being sworn-in at the Captiol By Zoe Clark • Jan 12, 2011 Terry Johnston / Flickr Michigan lawmakers, both new and returning, are at the state Capitol today being sworn into the state Legislature. The 2011 session began at noon. Laura Weber is at the Capitol and filed this report: Dave Hildenbrand is a Republican who will be sworn in as a state Senator. He served six years in the state House. He says House and Senate Republican lawmakers are focused on the same things: The public spoke very clearly that they want things done differently here in Michigan, and so we're ready to get to work to help strengthen our state and just make it a better place for the people who live here. Hildenbrand says lawmakers want to deal the state's complicated business tax quickly. He says the Legislature needs to help create a better business climate in Michigan. Lawmakers will begin the new session with a new Republican Governor and a projected $1.8 billion dollar budget deficit for the fiscal year that begins October 1st. The Governor and The Auto Show By Zoe Clark • Jan 12, 2011 Governor Rick Snyder visited the Detroit auto show yesterday, something governors traditionally do. They greet the CEOs, make nice comments about the new models, and disappear. I can't recall a single thing any politician has said at the auto show that was worth remembering. But this year is a little different. Two years ago, it was highly uncertain whether there would be either an domestic auto industry or an auto show in 2011. What's more, almost nobody in the industry or the state had ever heard of Rick Snyder, and nobody imagined he'd be governor. Well, the auto industry is a good bit healthier today, and the state is getting used to a governor who doesn't like to wear a tie, and doesn't mind being called a nerd. Like other governors before him, Snyder didn't say anything especially stirring at the auto show. But he did a few things worth noting. He didn't just visit what we might now call the not-so-big three, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. He stopped by Kia and Hyundai and Toyota too. In this morning's news... By Zoe Clark • Jan 12, 2011 Legislature Returns to Lansing Michigan lawmakers will be at the state Capitol today for the first day of the new 2011-2012 legislative session. Lawmakers will be sworn-in and adopt new rules. Due to term limits and a strong Republican showing in last November's election, the majority of lawmakers in both the state House and Senate will be new to the job. The legislature is facing a projected $1.8 billion dollar budget deficit for the fiscal year that begins October 1st. Snyder Visits NAIAS Governor Rick Snyder visited the North American International Auto Show yesterday in Detroit. Snyder was joined by his Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, among others. The Governor toured the Ford and Prius pavilions and sat in a Chevy Volt. Snyder told reporters: The role of manufacturing and the auto industry in Michigan's future is critical. I don't walk away from it all. Actually, I embrace it. That is part of our heritage. That is something we have world-class people in. The show opened to the media for previews on Monday and opens to the public on Saturday. Proposed Closings for Detroit Schools Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb has submitted a plan to state education officials that calls for the closing of 70 Detroit Public School buildings by 2013. The closings are part of Bobb's proposed deficit-elimination plan for DPS. The school district currently faces a $327 million budget deficit. The Detroit News reports that in the past year alone, the district's debt has increased by more than $100 million. New Football Coach for UM University of Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon announced yesterday afternoon that Brady Hoke will be the new University of Michigan football coach. Hoke will be the 19th coach in the football team's 131-year history. Hoke is no stranger to Ann Arbor, Steve Carmody reports. He worked as an assistant coach for the Wolverines for 8 seasons including during the 1997 national championship season. Hoke's 28 year career includes stops at Grand Valley State, Western Michigan, and Toledo. State Department of Agriculture gets a name change By Zoe Clark • Jan 12, 2011 Prima Civitas Foundation / Flickr The Michigan Department of Agriculture is, now, officially the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Governor Rick Snyder announced in November that he would make the change. He signed an order, yesterday, making it official. The Associated Press reports, "the governor says the new name is 'a clear signal' his administration plans to help the agriculture industry grow so rural areas gain new and better jobs." Governor Snyder appointed Keith Creagh to head the Department. Creagh used to be the Department's deputy director. In a statement released yesterday, Creagh said: Agriculture today is a high tech industry that relies on trained professionals with knowledge of the newest methods from biology and chemistry to packing and shipping. Expanding educational opportunities will give Michigan's agricultural producers a competitive edge and ensure jobs are available for recent graduates who want to stay in their home communities. Lawmakers begin new legislative session By Zoe Clark • Jan 12, 2011 Matthileo / Flickr Michigan lawmakers return to the state Capitol today for the first day of the 2011-2012 legislative session. Lawmakers will be sworn-in and adopt rules, including a dress code. As the Associated Press reports, the majority of lawmakers in both the Senate and the House will be new to their jobs: The turnover is caused partly by the state's term limits law and a strong showing by Republicans in last year's elections. Republicans built on their advantage in the Senate and grabbed control of House from Democrats. Lawmakers will begin the new session with a new Republican Governor and a projected $1.8 billion dollar budget deficit for the fiscal year that begins October 1st. Both the Senate and House will also see new legislative leaders. Republican Randy Richardville will be Senate Majority Leader and Democrat Gretchen Whitmer will be the Senate Minority Leader. In the House, Republican Jase Bolger will be Speaker and Democrat Richard Hammel will be the House Minority Leader. New president for Michigan's State Board of Education By Zoe Clark • Jan 12, 2011 For the first time in a decade, Michigan's State Board of Education has a new president. Yesterday, John Austin was unanimously elected to lead the board. He replaces fellow Democrat Kathleen Straus. Democrats have a 5-3 majority on the board. Austin was first elected to the board in 2000 and re-elected in 2008. In a release sent out yesterday, Austin said he is, "proud that during his 10 years on the State Board... the Board has functioned as a bi-partisan change agent for education reform and improvement" As the Associated Press reports: Democrat Casandra Ulbrich was elected vice president, Republican Nancy Danhof was elected secretary and Democrat Marianne Yared McGuire will continue as treasurer. Republican Richard Zeile will represent the state board on the National Association of State Boards of Education. Rule of Law By Jack Lessenberry • Jan 11, 2011 It's sometimes easy to be cynical about what we used to call "the system" back in the days when bell-bottom jeans were common. Too often, it appears that society at all levels still functions under the golden rule, as in, he who has the gold, makes the rules. Ideally, things are supposed to work according to the words engraved on the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington: Equal Justice Under Law." But in practice, it too often seems that things are more like the famous New Yorker cartoon in which a judge peers down at a defendant, and asks: "So, how much justice can you afford?" Pages« first ‹ previous … 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 … next › last »

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hexanchus griseus
|Scope: Global
Language: English
|Scientific Name:
|Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788)
|Regional Assessments:
Common Name(s):
Hexanchus corinus Jordan & Gilbert, 1880
Hexanchus griseus ssp. australis de Buen, 1960
Monopterinus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788)
Notidanus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788)
Notidanus monge Risso, 1827
Notidanus vulgaris Pérez Canto, 1886
Squalus griseus Bonnaterre, 1788
Squalus vacca Bloch & Schneider, 1801
|Taxonomic Source(s):
|Weigmann, S. 2016. Annotated checklist of the living sharks, batoids and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of the world, with a focus on biogeographical diversity. Journal of Fish Biology 88(3): 837-1037.
|Red List Category & Criteria:
|Near Threatened ver 3.1
|Year Published:
|Date Assessed:
Needs updating
|Cook, S.F. & Compagno, L. J.V.
|Musick, J.A. & Fowler, S.L. (Shark Red List Authority)
This assessment is based on the information published in the 2005 shark status survey (Fowler et al. 2005).
The Bluntnose Sixgill Shark (Hexanchus griseus) is wide ranging, although patchily distributed, in boreal, temperate and tropical seas. It is a deep-benthic, littoral and semipelagic shark, not known to be epipelagic. Young are often found close inshore, adults often in deeper water, although adults and sub¬adults are known to enter shallow water in bays with adjacent deepwater canyons. In tropical areas it tends not to penetrate coastal waters. Largely caught as a bycatch of other fisheries, this is also a valuable food and sports fish that appears very vulnerable to overfishing, unable to sustain intensive, targeted fisheries for long periods. Some regional populations have been severely depleted, e.g. in the Northeast Pacific. However, population and fisheries data are lacking from many regions.
|Previously published Red List assessments:
|Range Description:
|This species is widely but disjunctly distributed in temperate and tropical seas of the continental and insular shelves of the Pacific, Atlantic (including the type locality in the Mediterranean Sea) and Indian Oceans. It occurs from the surface to at least 2,000 m, on continental and insular shelves and upper slopes (including sea mounts).
|Countries occurrence:
Native:Bermuda; Canada (British Columbia); United States (California, Oregon, Washington)
|FAO Marine Fishing Areas:
Atlantic – northeast; Atlantic – eastern central; Atlantic – southwest; Atlantic – southeast; Atlantic – northwest; Atlantic – western central; Indian Ocean – western; Indian Ocean – eastern; Mediterranean and Black Sea; Pacific – southeast; Pacific – northeast; Pacific – northwest; Pacific – eastern central; Pacific – southwest
|Additional data:
|Range Map:
|Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
|Current Population Trend:
|Additional data:
|Habitat and Ecology:
|A capable predator, the Bluntnose Sixgill Shark feeds on a wide variety of animals including other sharks (it is known to attack hooked conspecifics, which it sometimes follows to the surface from depth), skates, rays, chimaeras, dolphinfish, small swordfish and marlins, herring, grenadiers, antimoras (codlings), rockfishes, cod, lingcod, hake, flounders, halibut, turbot, gurnards and anglerfish, as well as many types of invertebrates including squid, crabs, sea cucumbers and shrimp. It also eats carrion and sometimes seals (Ebert 1994). The bluntnose sixgill shark has not been involved in shark bite incidents on humans, but has been known to swim up to and examine divers (off southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada) and rarely surfers (Cannon Beach, Oregon, USA) without threat or physical contact (C. Bond pers. comm. 1985). Small specimens thrash and snap when captured, but large individuals offer little resistance. This shark appears to become increasingly sensitive to light with increasing size. Adults may become highly agitated when exposed to even moderately intense light. However, this phenomenon needs much more investigation, since the species has been observed and/or photographed from research submersibles off Bermuda and California in well-lighted situations (floodlights) without undue agitation or avoidance of lighted areas (B. Lea pers. comm.).
The species is ovoviviparous, bearing very large litters numbering from 22-108 young, size at birth 65-74 cm. Males mature at about 315 cm and females at about 420 cm. Longevity, pupping interval and mating behaviour are unknown. Pupping grounds apparently occur on the upper slopes and outer continental shelves. Since this species preys on conspecifics opportunistically, some mechanism of separation of larger and smaller individuals undoubtedly occurs (Ebert 1994). Young tend to be found in shallow waters often just off the shore, but as they grow they move into successively deeper waters. Adults tend to follow diurnal patterns of vertical distribution, sitting deep on the bottom by day and coming toward or to the surface at night to feed. As for many species of deep-water sharks, it is unknown whether this species segregates by sex.
|Major Threat(s):
|Due to its broad depth range and relative sluggishness, this shark has often been captured incidentally in fisheries for other species. It is taken by handline, longline, gillnet, traps, trammel net, and both pelagic and bottom-trawls. When captured it is often smoked in the Pacific Northwest U.S. (Washington State) and Italy to produce a fine cured product, usually for export to European markets. It is occasionally used for meat and liver oil in Australia (Last and Stevens 1994). Additionally, it has been used for salted and dried food products, as well as fish meal and pet foods. Uses of fins may exist but are unreported. This species has been sought for sport fisheries in deeper parts of San Francisco Bay, California, USA (beneath the Golden Gate Bridge), as well as in deeper bays of Oregon and Washington States (Compagno in prep. a). This species is widely believed not to be capable of sustaining either sport or commercial fisheries efforts. Attempts to develop directed fisheries for the bluntnose sixgill shark have rapidly collapsed in California waters, usually lasting less than three years (Compagno in prep. a). Attempts to manage the sport fishery for the hexanchids in San Francisco Bay have been hampered by unusual rules that did not regulate the catch of these sharks per boat, but rather set the quotas at fish per person-pole. It has not been uncommon to see boats on the Bay loaded "to the gunwales" with fishermen to justify the number of poles aboard. The sixgill shark population in San Francisco and Humboldt Bays of California and Puget Sound complex of Washington was considered to be in serious decline in 1995 as a result of fishery activity. Development of a fishery for bluntnose sixgill in British Columbia is being explored, as a replacement for other traditional bony fish and elasmobranch fisheries that are now in decline. This has proceeded despite strong concerns voiced by fishery biologists as to the unsustainability of such fisheries historically (K. Wolf pers. comm.).
|Conservation Actions:
|Cook, S.F. & Compagno, L. J.V. 2009. Hexanchus griseus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009: e.T10030A3155348. . Downloaded on 24 September 2018.
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The following is a letter sent to parents by Superintendent of Schools William McKersie and is being reprinted by the district's request:
Dear Greenwich Public School Families:
I am writing with the second in a series of periodic updates I will provide on efforts to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all students in the district. (The first update letter was sent last week on Sept. 3 and is available on the GPS web site: www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=1001.
We are all concerned about and focused on the tragic passing of one of our students, Greenwich High School sophomore, Bart Palosz. We all want answers as to why he made the decision to end his own life. While we may never understand the intricacies of that decision, we are committed to doing everything we can to prevent something like this from happening again.
Please know that our overarching approach in all matters regarding this tragedy is one of compassion and concern. I am personally and professionally dedicated to making sure that our schools ensure the safety, health and well-being of all our students. This update addresses important developments to that end.
Student Privacy
As I have stated several times, we cannot discuss publicly any issues or topics that threaten the privacy of individual students or their records. This is a stance based on the law and best ethical practice. Thus, we are remaining silent on any specifics of Bart Palosz's experiences in the Greenwich Public Schools. It is the same approach we would take with any other student in the GPS. It is the same approach educational institutions across the country take in similar situations.
Most people understand and respect our responsibility to protect student privacy. Unfortunately, some people do not understand our obligations and are criticizing district leadership. I accept this criticism, knowing that we are doing what is legally and ethically correct in refusing to discuss the private aspects of Bart Palosz's educational experience and record.
Investigation Update
The investigation into Bart Palosz's experiences in the Greenwich Public Schools is ongoing. This is a comprehensive and complex investigation that will span an extended period of time. The District is committed to a thoughtful and thorough investigation. The Greenwich Police Department has been conducting an investigation into any possible criminal activity, with which we have been fully cooperating.
A separate investigation, initially started by the Greenwich Public Schools, now will be conducted by the Town of Greenwich Legal Department. The Legal Department will conduct an investigation that has strong objectivity and provides an appropriate level of dedicated professional time. The Town's legal department has experience in conducting similar investigations for other departments in an objective and ethical fashion.
GHS Hotline — Cards Help
Over the past week, Dr. Chris Winters and his leadership team have been considering ways to improve methods of communication between students and staff. In addition to speaking directly with a teacher, guidance counselor, social worker or other adult, GHS now has an email account and dedicated phone line for students or others to contact adults anonymously. Trained professionals at GHS will monitor both forms of communication on a daily basis. Anyone with a concern either about himself/herself or someone else is encouraged to contact the email account or the phone line. If you see something or know of something either in school or out that is a threat to student health and well-being, contacting us could make a difference.
Please access the Cards Help roll-out tip line/hotline: email address: [email protected]; phone number: within GHS, ext. 2273 (CARD); Outside GHS 203-863-8899.
Student Information System Update
First at GHS, and soon district-wide, we will institute a way to track reports of alleged bullying in our student information system. The system will allow us to correlate alleged bullying between aggressors and victims. Even if an accusation does not arise to formal bullying, we will be able to monitor repeated negative behaviors by students and intervene accordingly.
Viewing of Monitoring Videos
The GPS practice is to allow parents of students to view any videos taken of their students for safety and security purposes. Parents must view the video at the school and in the company of a district staff member. However, parents are not allowed to view videos of their students if the images of other students are included in the videos and the identity of the other students has not been masked. Safety and security videos of students are legally considered part of a student's educational record, which is private to all but parents of the particular student.
We are exploring the possibility of adding the required technology and expertise to mask particular students in videos. This would allow us greater flexibility in responding to parent requests to view videos when a discipline matter has been raised.
Consequences for Bullying
In the letter I sent last week, the attached material listed all policies, procedures and practices in the GPS related to bullying. Most important, the material stresses that we have a zero tolerance for bullying and that any students proven to have bullied other students face expulsion. Similarly, we take a severe stance with staff who have not met their professional and statutory requirements to confront alleged bullying.
Next Steps
I have established a work group of administrators to develop an action plan for each of the four priorities listed in last week's letter (listed below). The action plan will include a set of recommendations for changes, improvements and new efforts that must be instituted by the school district, students, parents and community partners. I will make sure that the school district makes all necessary changes, but I also will be turning to student, parents and community partners to look at ways to ensure peaceful and respectful behavior by all of us in and around the Greenwich Public Schools.
1. Review all policies, procedures and practices relative to bullying and make sure they are aligned with state law and national best practice;
2. Review how the district, parents and other individuals could monitor social media for information on students who are at risk of harming themselves or others;
3. Support student groups that are addressing bullying;
4. Reach out to the PTAC leadership and other parent bodies to support programs on bullying and the promotion of peaceful and respectful behavior.
In addition, we will cooperate fully with the specific investigation of Bart Palosz's experiences in the GPS.
We are focused on ensuring a safe school climate for all who are enrolled in or work in the Greenwich Public Schools and we will continue in these efforts. It is important to know that while appropriate attention has been directed toward this objective, the work of educating our students has never faltered. Our administrators, teachers and staff have been focused on teaching and learning. As I visit the schools, the excitement and promise of new learning is palpable. I look forward to working with all of you and the entire Greenwich community in educating our young people, not only in the areas of academics and extra-curricular activities, but in how to care for self and others.
William S. McKersie, Ph.D.
Greenwich Public Schools


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
The following activity occurred Monday, May 6, to Sunday, May 12, as reported by the Lewiston Police Department. LPD logged a total of 88 response calls during this period.
Monday, May 6
•Center Street, separate calls of a suspicious person on the street and a suspicious vehicle at a gas-convenience business. Both calls handled by patrol.
•300 block of North Fourth Street, forgery complaint. Statement taken from a male, 29. Male listed in the report.
•Oneida Street, criminal mischief. Statement taken from a male, 43. Suspect unknown.
•2900 block of Saunders Settlement Road, West Street Elementary, fire/structure. Electrical fire reported; mutual aid response by numerous area fire companies. Students safely evacuated and transported home. Report filed.
•Saunders Settlement Road, Niagara-Wheatfield High School, two-vehicle accident. Statements taken from the drivers; both vehicles towed.
•Hyde Park Boulevard and Power Authority access road, two-vehicle accident. Statements taken from both drivers. Male, 25, arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation; uniform traffic tickets issued for Lewiston Town Court. One vehicle towed; report filed.
•400 block of Plain Street, neighbor problem. Situation handled.
•Upper Mountain Road, reckless driver. Plate number logged; all OK.
Tuesday, May 7
•5800 block of Townline Road, check welfare. Disagreement settled by patrol; all OK.
•Niagara University campus, suspicious person. All OK.
•5800 block of Townline Road, check welfare. Homeowner suspected a break-in. Roommate found to be arriving home; all OK.
•400 block of North Eighth Street, suspicious persons. Four males reported walking from a bar/restaurant on the 800 block of Center Street in the early morning hours and being loud. Males fled on foot. Patrol located and returned subjects to their residences; underage drinking reported.
•1900 block of Mount Hope Road, check welfare. Male reported yelling for help in woods. Subject located; all OK.
•2800 block of Niagara Street, Sanborn, trespassing complaint. Statement taken from a male, 48; male suspect listed.
•1100 block of Saunders Settlement Road, possible harassment. Statement taken from a female, 22; male listed on call.
•Creek Road, check welfare. Female walking down road; GOA.
•Hewitt and North Hewitt drives, report of shots fired. Area checked with negative results.
•1000 block of Escarpment Drive, barking dogs. Patrol spoke with a male, 38; female, 55, listed as a suspect. Town dog control officer contacted. Report filed.
•4700 block of East Eddy Drive, animal problem. Injured skunk dispatched by patrol.
Wednesday, May 8
•100 block of Water Street, intoxicated person. Female, 22, taken home by friends.
•2200 block of Saunders Settlement Road, harassment. Two females, ages 19 and 21, listed as victims. Two females, ages 27 and 21, listed as suspects and one female listed as a person involved. Two suspects issued appearance tickets to Lewiston Town Court on harassment charges. Report filed.
•4000 block of Creek Road, Lewiston-Porter High School, suicide note found. Patrol followed up with an ongoing school investigation.
•Robert Moses Parkway and Pletcher Road, reckless driver. Patrol spoke with driver; all OK.
•Smith Street, suspicious vehicle. Vehicle towed with 12-hour hold.
Thursday, May 9
•4700 block of Lower River Road, alarm. Homeowners on location; all OK.
•Garlow and Mount Hope roads, report of fire. Utility pole reported on fire; Lewiston No. 2 Volunteer Fire Co. on location.
•Church and Main streets, Youngstown, fatal accident/agency assist. Niagara County Sheriff's Office, Youngstown Volunteer Fire Co. and U.S. Coast Guard all on location. NCSO filed report.
•5200 block of Lewiston Road, property damage accident. Statements taken from both drivers; report filed.
•5000 block of Susies Lane, aggravated harassment. Two females, age 33 and age unspecified, listed on call. Patrol interviewed both; investigation to continue.
•4300 block of Military Road, hold-up alarm at a bank branch. LPD on location with Town of Niagara Police. All secure.
•3100 block of Saunders Settlement Road, report of fight at Niagara County Community College. Call disregarded en route.
•Mount Hope and Green roads, reckless driver. Patrol pursued a Grand Cherokee, color black. Vehicle went down a trail and patrol broke contact.
•Townline and Albright roads, car-deer accident. Deer dispatched; NCSO to do report.
Friday, May 10
•800 block of The Circle Drive, animal problem. Handled by patrol.
•Bond Lake Park, check welfare. Naked man reported in a red truck; GOA.
•800 block of Oneida Street, accident, property damage. Statements taken from both drivers; report filed.
•4300 block of Lower River Road, elderly male fell and appears confused. Patrol assisted EMS responders; male signed off on call. Patrol contacted adult protective services. Report filed.
•Saunders Settlement Road, two-vehicle accident. Statements taken from both drivers; report filed.
•2000 block of Mount Hope Road (tow calls) 911 check. First response, a trailer was moved to a Walmore road address. Second call, handled by patrol.
•Lower Mountain Road, vehicle/traffic stop-arrests. Patrol reported the arrests of a male, 38; and a female, 21, both for criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Male also arrested for DWI - drugs. Patrol reported baggies of heroin and syringes were seized. Both suspects arraigned at Lewiston Town Court and remanded to custody of NCSO/Niagara County Jail. Patrol assisted NCSO on court and transport. Report filed.
•800 block of Orchard Drive, suspicious persons. Patrol reported former residents of area were on property with siblings. Property listed for sale; subjects advised to contact a realtor.
Saturday, May 11
•800 block of Center Street, fight at a bar/restaurant. Male, 22, listed as complainant taken to Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center and transferred to ECMC for treatment of injuries. Male, 22, arrested for assault, third, and remanded to custody of NCSO to Niagara County jail. Report filed.
•Center Street, recovered property. Cell phone returned to a Page Avenue address.
•4200 block of Lower River Road, fraud. Male and female, no ages, listed on call. Report filed.
•5700 block of Griffin Street, suspicious person. NCSO handled.
•Model City Road, vehicle/traffic stop-arrest. Male arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation, second-degree; operation without an interlock device and other unspecified vehicle/traffic charges. Uniform traffic tickets issued for Lewiston Town Court. Vehicle towed, with no hold. Report filed.
•5300 block of Military Road, Mount St. Mary's ER. Unwanted party. GOA.
Sunday, May 12
•900 block of Swann Road, alarm response. All OK; homeowner on location.
•800 block of Center Street, disturbing the peace. Handled by patrol.
•Military Road, vehicle/traffic stop-arrest. Male, 20, arrested for driving while intoxicated. Blood Alcohol Content testing performed; BAC result, .10 of 1 percent. Suspect released on appearance tickets for Lewiston Town Court. Report filed.
•400 block of Plain Street, check welfare. Male suspect located at a nearby address.
•2200 block of Lower Mountain Road, check welfare. Call involved a mental health response. Subject located in an area cemetery and taken to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.


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Volatile Fluxes Through the Northern Kamchatkan Volcanic Arc
DOEI Project Funded: 2006
Klyuchevsky volcano, located in northern Kamchatka is one of the most active and productive volcanoes in the world (Fig. 1, below). It has been proposed that this exceptional productivity is related to a tear in the subducting Pacific plate which allows for influx of fertile mantle material to a region characterized by a high degree of melting due to fluid inputs from the subducting Pacific plate. Fluids released from sediments and the oceanic lithosphere of the subducting plate play a pivotal role in the melting process beneath volcanic arc systems. Through combined gas and melt inclusion work, this study aims to 1) test whether the absolute flux of volatiles such as CO2 and SO2 from Klyuchesky volcano is high relative to other arc volcanoes given its high magma productivity, and 2) evaluate whether the influx of fertile melt has modified the melting process at Klyuchevsky volcano.
An estimate of the present day volatile flux will be obtained by analyzing He-C abundances and isotopes of gas samples collected in the field, whereas melt inclusion studies combined with magma production rates will yield a historical record of volatile fluxes. Melt inclusions (Fig. 2, below) are trapped during crystal growth and are thought to preserve primary melt compositions, thereby yielding valuable information regarding mantle source characteristics. Using WHOI's ion probe facility, major volatiles (techniques to be developed on the 1280 instrument through this proposal) and trace elements will be measured on the same inclusions, allowing for the degree of melting and the source components (fertile mantle, sediments, altered oceanic crust) to be identified. The multi-analysis approach of this project will clarify the role of fluids fluxing through the Kamchatkan volcanic arc and assess whether the mantle supply is distinct from typical arc volcanoes sources.
Volcanic rocks, as well as gas and hot spring fluids at various geothermal localities will be collected by A. Shaw at Klyuchevsky volcano in September of 2006. This expedition, funded through the National Astrobiology Institution, is a collaborative effort with astrobiologists from various institutions (Carnegie Institution of Washington, the Australian Center for Astrobiology and the Russian Astrobiology Center) whose goal is to test the limits of life using various isotopic and microanalytical techniques in the extreme environment surrounding Klyuchevsky volcano. Understanding the chemical characteristics of magmatic inputs at this site is fundamental if any attempts to distinguish abiogenic from biogenic signatures are to be made.


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Sox must stop dropping the ball
Even before key players like Jeff Keppinger, Dayan Viciedo, Gordon Beckham and Gavin Floyd started making beelines from the playing field to the trainer's room, the White Sox didn't have much room for mistakes.
Now that the roster has shifted into makeshift mode, the Sox really have to be careful.
They were careless against Tampa Bay on Sunday, and it cost the White Sox an 8-3 loss at U.S. Cellular Field.
"You see the turn of events in a tight game," manager Robin Ventura said.
It was a 3-3 in the eighth inning when the game completely got away from the Sox.
Reliever Nate Jones gave up 2 singles and 2 walks, with a wild pitch thrown in.
Matt Thornton and Jesse Crain did a good job of minimizing the damage after taking over for Jones, but right fielder Alex Rios dropped a Ryan Roberts flyball with the bases loaded and two outs, allowing 2 unearned runs to score.
"It's just one of those things that's going to happen and you realize that occasionally," Ventura said. "But if we're going to get on an extended run of playing well, you have to make those plays."
Floyd went on the disabled list before the Rays won their second straight over the Sox to split the four-game series.
Keppinger (back spasms) doesn't appear headed to the DL, but he missed his third straight game and the rash of injuries is undoubtedly taking a toll.
Even Ventura, who never makes excuses, realizes his team is not playing anywhere near full power.
"You have a few of the starters out, so it becomes a different look," Ventura said. "But again, I can't look at it like that. We're looking at what you have here and what's available and you go from there. You try to win games right now, not waiting and looking in the future.
"Guys are playing hard and this is one of those that is probably a work in progress of trying to figure that out and who's playing and who's doing what. But again, you try to make due and make sure everybody is giving a constant effort. That's all you can ask."
Jones and Rios are regulars on the 25-man roster, and they were the biggest disappointments Sunday.
Paul Konerko, who put the White Sox in front 3-1 in the third inning with a 2-run homer off Tampa Bay starter David Price, said all of the injuries have not been a major factor.
"I don't sense anybody looking around saying we can't win with what we have," Konerko said. "I think the only time you think about those (injured) guys is when you see them. I think every team is going to have that little span during the season where it seems like every day somebody's going down.
"Hopefully this is ours right now and we start getting guys back and we're kind of over that and it's done with and some other team's going to have to deal with that in August or September maybe.
"That's what you hang your hat on I guess, but the guys that have been filling in have been doing a great job. A lot of guys filling in for the guys who are hurt have gotten big hits and done some nice things. We feel like we're fine with what we have. We just have to keep grinding."
As usual, Sox starter Dylan Axelrod was matched up against a quality mound opponent and held his own.
Axelrod was in great shape until Matt Joyce tied the game at 3-3 with a 2-run homer in the sixth inning.
"It's a little bit frustrating," Axelrod said. "We were in a good position to win the game. It was a tough pitch; (Joyce) got to it and kept it fair. You have to give him credit for that."


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Beaumont/Port Arthur
To say Danny "Boone" Alexander and Rehab has seen its ups and downs would be a huge understatement. Origins of the group date back to Warner Robins, Georgia, in 1998 when Alexander met Jason "Brooks" Buford during a stint at a rehab facility, hence the band name, then later joined up with Denny "Steak knife" Campbell.
Dazzling debs ... Feted at a slew of stellar parties over the last several months, the 2010 Symphony League of Beaumont presented the 21 beautiful debutants at the 49th Debutant Ball at the Beaumont Country Club this past Saturday evening. The BCC was decorated from floor to ceiling - Who would expect anything less from ball chair Nicole Saba? - and debs, escorts, family and friends were truly impressed.
I spy ... Friends of the Triangle AIDS Network will host "Paint the Town Red: Shaken, Not Stirred" on Thursday, Nov. 11, at the Beaumont Country Club. The gala - featuring art, auctions, entertainment, dancing and fine dining - is the major annual fundraiser to benefit TAN. This year, an "Evening of International Intrigue" will play homage to James Bond and other famed spies, sleuths and secret agents. Festivities begin with a champagne reception, hors d'oeuvres and silent auction at 6:30 p.m. The live auction begins at 7:15 p.m.
While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us "that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas," we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We're of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.
For this week's New York Times crossword puzzle, pick up a copy of this week's The Examiner on newsstands now.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite ongoing disagreement over designs for a national memorial honoring President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the nation's capital, planners are creating a high-tech virtual memorial to accompany the future monument.
Development of the memorial has been delayed for months amid objections from Eisenhower's family over famed architect Frank Gehry's design. Gehry's plan calls for a memorial park with statues of the president and World War II hero framed by large metal tapestries depicting Eisenhower's boyhood home in Kansas.
Now a congressional commission working to build the memorial has quietly launched a preview of an "e-memorial" being developed online to show how multimedia features would complement Gehry's design for a site near the National Mall.
The e-memorial will include a mobile app using "augmented reality" technology to superimpose historic images and recordings onto Gehry's memorial scene and tapestries. It will include stories of Eisenhower as president and as World War II general.
"We will be the first of the presidential memorials to have this on-site learning opportunity," said Victoria Tigwell, deputy executive director for the Eisenhower Memorial Commission. "It's a way to enhance the experience and the level of engagement that each visitor can choose to use."
The memorial park, though, will remain a contemplative space for visitors who want a quieter experience.
Some monuments, such as George Washington's 555-foot-tall obelisk, require prior knowledge from visitors to capture their symbolic meaning. Other sites, including the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, have museum-style visitor centers to accompany and explain statues and words engraved in marble.
In the case of Eisenhower, the storytelling will be electronic.
Media design firm Local Projects LLC is creating the e-memorial after previously building interactive features for New York's 9/11 Memorial.
Founder Jake Barton told The Associated Press he's using new technology to introduce Eisenhower to a new generation. Using technology to present Ike's story also evokes Eisenhower's spirit of innovation as the creator of NASA and other 20th century advancements, Barton said.
"Individual decisions that he was part of literally changed the course of history," Barton said. So designers are working to bring the 34th president's voice, recorded at the dawn of the television age, into his memorial.
"If you could walk the Eisenhower Memorial with the spirit of Eisenhower himself, he would be calling forth all of these incredible memories from his own career," Barton said.
One key focus point will be Eisenhower's leadership on D-Day in World War II. As visitors walk through the memorial, they can look at the scene through a smartphone camera. Pictures from D-Day will appear as Eisenhower addressed his troops. Later visitors can hear his voice through a radio address as he spoke to the world at that moment.
Additional features will include games for children to find hidden messages in the memorial and unlock Cold War history, as well as videos and stories from those who knew Ike personally. Barton is drawing on content from the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Kansas and elsewhere.
Eisenhower's family has called for a simple memorial to reflect Ike's modesty. Susan Eisenhower, one of the president's granddaughters, has said broader storytelling from history should be left to museums, not presidential monuments.
Despite the objections, memorial officials are pushing ahead, aiming to open the $142 million memorial by 2015. The e-memorial portion would be limited to as much as $2 million in development costs, Tigwell said. Then it would be turned over to the National Park Service to maintain.
As with the 9/11 Memorial, Barton said he is working to expand the Eisenhower Memorial's reach with a robust website and mobile app and will refine them based on feedback from users ahead of the memorial's opening.
"I'm all for simplicity and modesty but don't feel like avoiding technology is the right strategy. Eisenhower himself engaged in the most cutting edge technology of his day," Barton said. "There's a big opportunity to reinvent how a memorial and the park rangers themselves can tell the story of Eisenhower."
Eisenhower Memorial: http://www.eisenhowermemorial.com/
Follow Brett Zongker on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat


text: A.G. RUSSELL™ KNIVES Since 1964, A.G. Russell™ Knives has supplied the knife needs of customers worldwide. The A.G. Russell name means quality, dependability and knowledge. Catalogs and web site includes most quality production brands and many handmade knives, some available only from A.G. Russell. 479-571-6161. www.agrussell.com. FREE Dept GB0510C A.G. Russell Knives 2900 S. 26th St. Rogers, AR 72758 CATALOG INQUIRY #10 AMERICAN COP MAGAZINE A Magazine By Cops, For Cops. Cops need information they can trust. That's why FMG Publications is bringing the "tell-it-like-it-is" reputation of American Handgunner into the police publication world. American COP will offer solutions to real-world problems YOU deal with every day. $19.95 US and $39.95 Foreign includes six bi-monthly issues. Plus FREE Tool Logic Magnetic Light with your paid subscription. Visit us online at: www.americancopmagazine.com CATALOG INQUIRY #11 Imagine a magazine with such detailed information that each issue makes you feel like you've fired the guns featured. Every issue provides the latest news on handguns and accessories in a "tell-it-like-it-is" style you won't find anywhere else. Nothing prepares you for handgunning like American Handgunner. 1 year subscription $19.75 (outside the U.S. $39.75). www.americanhandgunner.com CATALOG INQUIRY #12 AMERICAN HANDGUNNER MAGAZINE Our catalog display allows AMERICAN HANDGUNNER readers to select literature on a wide variety of shooting product s. HOW TO ORDER Please check the boxes of the literature you'd like to receive on the attached order form. Enclose (in the envelope provided) a check or money order payable to AMERICAN HANDGUNNER for the total literature fees plus $2.50 handling charge. If paying by credit card, please include all information needed. OR: Send a list of the catalogs you want to request, listing the name and catalog inquiry number of each, with your check or VISA/MC/Discover # for the total catalog fees plus $2.50 handling charge. Mail to: AMERICAN HANDGUNNER, P.O. Box 509093, San Diego, CA 92150-9093 . Catalogs will be mailed directly to you by the companies making the offer. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. AMERICAN HANDGUNNER and Publishers' Development Corporation are not responsible for unprocessed orders. Companies participating in this section have accepted full responsibility for filling reader requests. You can also download an order form online at www.americanhandgunner.com ANNUAL SPECIAL EDITIONS Order our 2008 Special Editions individually for $8.95 US/$16.95 Foreign, or our 2009 & 2010 Special Editions individually for $9.95 US/$17.95 Foreign or combinations of four, six or eight special editions at reduced rates.Visit us online and see how easy it is to have our FMG publications delivered to your door. www.gunsmagazine.com www.americanhandgunner.com www.americancopmagazine.com CATALOG INQUIRY #13-31 BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION Black Hills Ammunition specializes in .223 and .308 ammunition. It's the choice of the US Army, USMC, USAF and the US Navy Rifle Teams. We also have 14 different calibers in our Cowboy Ammunition Line, 10 calibers - 29 different loadings in our Black Hills Gold™ Hunting Line and superb but economical remanufactured ammunition in many calibers. $2.00. CATALOG INQUIRY #32 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 77


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TWISP, Wash. (AP) — Heavy rains that unleashed mud slides in an area of north-central Washington where hillsides have been left barren by wildfires damaged or destroyed an estimated 10 homes and blocked highways, officials said Friday.
Damage to homes included mud, rushing water and the powerful force of the two together.
Resident Janie Lewis tells The Seattle Times (http://is.gd/a6zLO8) that a cascade of mud and water blew open her door Thursday evening, knocking down her husband and depositing several feet of mud in their house. They were unhurt.
"The river was running through the house," she said. "We're lucky to be alive."
More than 40 friends showed up unannounced Friday to help them dig out, she said.
Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said he believes a couple of the 10 homes were destroyed, a few were knocked off their foundations, many suffered mud damage.
"Still no injuries," he said Friday night. "No deaths. No missing people."
A section of State Highway 153 through the hard-hit Methow Valley remained closed Friday.
Chunks of highways were eaten away by the deluge.
There were at least two slides on State Highway 20 in a 30-mile stretch from Twisp to Okanogan, Transportation Department spokesman Jeff Adamson said. That stretch of road was closed until Friday afternoon.
More thunderstorms had been forecast for Friday and the National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch but it was allowed to expire Friday evening.
"There were a few light showers in wildfire areas but nothing like the thunderstorms that came through yesterday," meteorologist Matthew Fugazzi said Friday night.
The multiple slides had marooned as many as a dozen vehicles but occupants of those cars were rescued, the Washington State Patrol said.
The slides and flooding hit hard in areas burned by this summer's Carlton Complex wildfires. The fires burned more than 400 square miles and 500 firefighters remain in the area mopping up.
"This flooding is in the areas that were burned," Adamson said. "It brings down rocks, mud and water."
Residents said they were feeling disheartened.
"It's like another nail in the coffin," Carlton General Store owner Jeff Lyman told the newspaper. "It's pretty bad down here right now."
Maggie Garrett, who lives on Benson Creek, described fences torn down and deep channels carved through driveways and backyards.
"It was literally like a river running through here," she said. "And now, everything's 6 inches under mud."


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The following is a guest post from bestselling author Brenda Novak. In writing about the keys to penning a hit novel, Novak reveals a valuable point: It often boils down to nailing the core storytelling basics.
10 Keys to Writing a Bestselling Novel:
1. Start your story in the right place—when something exciting happens, when something unusual comes to pass, when a worthy challenge has been presented to your protagonist.
2. Save the backstory for later, and be sneaky about it. Feed it in carefully and sparingly just when the reader needs to know. And use only the most essential details of the past. Don't have your protagonist staring out the window so that you can tell your readers through internal dialogue everything you need them to know. (This is called an "info dump," and is to be avoided.)
3. Avoid saying too much or too little. Saying too much bogs down your pace and can come off as pretentious. Saying too little makes it difficult to connect with your characters and can strip your story of its emotional impact.
4. Build conflict. The conflict is the engine that drives your story. If you don't have much under the hood, you aren't going anywhere. Layered conflict, or conflict that grows and changes as the story progresses, is even better. It keeps your reader from getting frustrated, bored or weary of the protagonist's journey.
5. Stay active. Active writing means keeping the reader in the action. It means moving forward in real time. It means using specific details as opposed to clichés and generalizations. It also means using better diction and stronger verbs.
6. Skip the boring stuff. Nobody wants to read it. Use snappy, realistic dialogue that is unique to each character and isn't bogged down with too many tags or adverbs ("she said sternly …").
7. Create characters who are interesting and layered—which means they are not perfect. They must also be properly motivated or they will not be believable or sympathetic.
8. Help your reader suspend disbelief by avoiding a plot that is too contrived or coincidental. Put in a strong foundation at the beginning of your book so that whatever turns on it is credible and rings true.
9. Avoid writing that is overly dramatic or self-indulgent. Writing that tries too hard becomes obvious very fast.
10. Trust your reader and use plenty of subtext. By this I mean … be careful not to make everything quite so obvious. According to Alicia Rasley: "Subtext is like a gift to the astute reader—an additional layer of meaning implied by the text but not accessible without a bit of thinking. … Experienced readers aren't confined to the text—what's printed on the page—they interact with the text, fully participating with the writer in the making of meaning in the story." Such reader participation heightens the emotional impact of a story.
—New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak is the author of more than 45 books. A three-time Rita nominee, she has won many awards, including the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Book Buyer's Best, the Daphne, and the Holt Medallion. She is in the middle of a new contemporary romance series set in the heart of Gold Country, and her book When Snow Falls just won RT Book Reviews' Best Contemporary of 2012. She also runs an annual online auction for diabetes research every May at brendanovak.auctionanything.com (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she has raised over $1.6 million; her ninth auction is going on right NOW.*
*And speaking of that: WD is participating in this year's auction! We're offering a chance to win the most inspiring desk accessory we could think of: a pen from one of your favorite authors. For more details or to place a bid, click here.
You've Got a Book in You by Elizabeth Sims
Are you writing a book or novel for the first time? Chances are you probably have (or have had) a bout of insecurity, fear of failure, or worry about making it perfect. But you don't have to let all of those feelings take hold of you and cripple your ability to write. In fact, You've Got a Book in You is filled with friendly, funny, telling-it-to-you-straight chapters that teach you how to relinquish your worries and write freely! With this book, you'll get tips, advice and exercises geared toward helping you gain the skills and best practices needed to finish writing a novel.


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Alzheimer's experts are set to protest after Medicare issued draft guidelines last week saying it would only pay for an Eli Lilly and Co diagnostic test for the disease if patients were taking part in clinical trials for it.
Both Lilly and the Alzheimer's Association have released statements expressing disappointment with the decision by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which cited "insufficient" evidence that the tests improve patient care.
The agency that runs Medicare did cite evidence that the tests may be of use to rule out Alzheimer's in certain difficult-to-diagnose cases and to help identify patients who would be good candidates for clinical trials seeking better treatments or prevention strategies for the disease.
Patient advocates and the company say the decision might slow the development of future diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's and deny patients with symptoms the chance to find out whether they have Alzheimer's or some other disease that causes symptoms of dementia.
Several experts admit there is still much to learn about what a positive scan might mean, and say CMS's decision to cover only scans used in clinical trials may help in the search for treatments for the fatal, brain-wasting disease that affects 5 million Americans and 38 million people worldwide.
Lilly's compound, known as Amyvid, has already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but Medicare reimbursement is seen as critical for the company because most people begin showing signs of dementia around age 65, the age when Medicare coverage kicks in.
"Restricting coverage could hinder a timely and accurate diagnosis," said Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, president and chief executive of Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc, a Lilly subsidiary, adding that "it may stifle future innovation."
In addition to Lilly, the draft guidance could affect a similar imaging agent being developed by General Electric Co's GE Healthcare called flutemetamol now under review by regulators in the United States and Europe. Both are radioactive tracers designed to light up deposits of an Alzheimer's-related protein called beta amyloid when used in conjunction with brain scans known as positron emission tomography, or PET.
Instead of agreeing to routinely pay for the $3,000 test, CMS proposed "Coverage with Evidence Development," a designation that suggests there are still gaps in the evidence over the benefits of the test. Using this designation allows the agency to gather more data by paying for scans in patients taking part in clinical trials. Once those are completed, CMS could use the data to render a decision on coverage.
"Essentially, they acknowledge that there is the possibly that coverage is important, but they don't understand it quite yet," said Maria Carrillo, vice president of medical and scientific Relations at the Alzheimer's Association, which strongly disagrees with the proposal. The decision is still subject to change before the final rule goes into effect in October.
Carrillo said prior to the decision, the Alzheimer's Association and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging sent CMS a report detailing the limited circumstances under which the test would be appropriate, such as helping to rule out dementia caused by a condition known as frontotemporal dementia - which involves shrinking of the frontal and temporal lobes - or Alzheimer's disease.
She said she expects patients and the Alzheimer's research community to give CMS a lot of feedback on its draft document in the hopes of winning coverage in the final ruling, expected in October.
Lilly said it stands by its request for coverage of the tests in the appropriate patients.
Dr. Sam Gandy, associate director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said the decision walks a fine line between the strengths of the test and its weaknesses.
"I think CMS found a way to do something truly constructive while holding back what will undoubtedly be a tsunami of worried well who, if they had access to amyloid scans, would find that they have amyloid in their brains that is largely asymptomatic," he said.
"They would have no idea if or when their brains would begin to curdle in response to the amyloid, setting them on the road to dementia," Gandy said.
Gandy pointed to a recent study by Dr. Steven DeKosky of the University of Virginia and Dr. Oscar Lopez of the University of Pittsburgh, which suggested the tests were a poor predictor of whether people over 85 will develop Alzheimer's disease.
The study, which is ongoing, showed that more than half of cognitively normal individuals aged 85 and older who had beta amyloid deposits in their brains remained cognitively normal two years later.
Lilly, in its statement, says its test was not designed to predict whether Alzheimer's would develop, only to rule out Alzheimer's in patients with difficult diagnoses. A negative scan for the presence of beta amyloid would be a sign for doctors to look for other potential causes of dementia.
That still leaves the problem of what to tell patients who have a positive scan, said Dr. Ronald Petersen, an Alzheimer's expert at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
In someone with a precursor condition to Alzheimer's known as mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, a positive scan may mean a higher risk of advancing to Alzheimer's more quickly than a negative scan would indicate, he said. "The data are accumulating, but I don't know if they are there yet," he added.
At Mayo, Petersen is conducting a study of thousands of cognitively normal people to try to answer the question, "What does a positive scan mean in a normal person who is 50, 60 and 70 years old?"
Currently no treatments can prevent Alzheimer's, but as companies work on new drugs, having tests that identify the disease will be essential, DeKosky said.
"One of the reasons for trying to do these studies now is to know what we will actually do once we have drugs that will make a difference," he said.


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MADRID (AP) — Spain's governing Popular Party announced Saturday that it will investigate the financial activities of a former treasurer whom a court said had amassed an unexplained €22 million ($29 million) in Swiss bank accounts.
After three days of intense public and media pressure, which saw party leaders try to distance themselves from any alleged corruption, party spokeswoman Maria Dolores de Cospedal said a scandal had to be averted.
"Information that is appearing these days can cause a scandal and is so serious that our party has to be exemplary and has to react," she said. "Therefore, we will have to go over everything we have done to prove to all Spaniards that our hands are clean."
Earlier, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had said his hand "would not tremble" if revelations of alleged corruption in his party proved to be true. "There are matters before the courts, and those courts are acting," he said, referring to a court investigation that revealed ex-treasurer Luis Barcenas' Swiss accounts.
The case comes as Spain tries to emerge from its second recession in three years and has an unemployment rate of 25 percent, the highest in the European Union.
On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria denied knowing anything about the money or newspaper reports that Barcenas also gave Popular Party members large sums in under-the-table payments.
The same day, Cospedal denied that the party had distributed "black cash bonuses" from the construction industry to some of its top leaders.
The Spanish press has been scathing about the party's apparent inaction, and the normally supportive newspaper El Mundo said on its front page Saturday that the impression the Popular Party is giving is that it is "debating whether to cover up the secret payments or investigate them."
Barcenas resigned as party treasurer in 2009, some months after the investigation began, and he has not been charged with any crime. Barcenas' lawyer, Alfonso Trallero, has denied the money was illegally obtained or linked to the Popular Party.
While still in opposition, before taking office in November, Rajoy often showed public support for Barcenas.
The court revelations led to impromptu street protests in Madrid and Barcelona on Friday and Saturday.


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WASHINGTON - Last month's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut may have shaken public opinion, but there's no evidence it has changed the politics of gun control among California's representatives in Congress.
WASHINGTON - Last month's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut may have shaken public opinion, but there's no evidence it has changed the politics of gun control among California's representatives in Congress.
In the seven weeks since the shooting, no gun control opponent from the state has expressed a change of heart regarding the sort of restrictions proposed by President Barack Obama or Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-San Francisco.
Inquiries sent to all 53 members of the California House delegation by the California News Service confirmed a long-standing pattern: California Democrats overwhelmingly support tighter restrictions on guns, and Republicans oppose them.
The lack of movement is a sobering sign for the prospects of gun control legislation.
Feinstein introduced legislation Thursday that would ban the sale, manufacture, transfer and import of roughly 150 assault style weapons. Obama has called for a similar ban, along with a limit on high capacity magazines and universal background checks.
The proposals need the support of at least a couple dozen Republicans, who outnumber Democrats in the House 233-200, to pass. It does not appear either will get any help from California Republicans.
Among the state's 15 Republican House members, 14 received an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association. The other - Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, received an "A+." Each of them has received campaign contributions from the NRA.
By contrast, the NRA gave "F'' ratings to 32 of the state's 38 Democrats. None received contributions.
Postings on members' congressional websites illustrate the partisan divide.
Only two Republican lawmakers acknowledged last month's school shooting on their Congressional Web pages. More than half of the state's 38 Democrats issued news releases calling for some form of stronger gun control.
The unwavering stand by Republicans leads many to believe that gun control has little chance of passage.
"My guess would be no. You'd need a different House," said William Vizzard, a gun scholar at California State University, Sacramento.
Vizzard, a former Fresno deputy sheriff and Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms agent, said the outcry for gun control that follows shootings typically fades quickly.
"The problem with issues with guns is that they're only hot for a short period of time,'' Vizzard said.
In 1994, 46 House Republicans joined 188 Democrats in support of Feinstein's original assault weapons ban. The ban expired after 10 years as Republican opposition hardened.
Three California Republicans voted for the 1994 bill including Rep. Michael Huffington from Santa Barbara, who challenged Feinstein for her Senate seat that year. None are still serving.
Since last month's shooting, there has been a marked increase in public support for gun control.
A New York Times/CBS poll conducted earlier this month found 54 percent favor stricter guns laws, up from 39 percent in April.
However some caution that public support does necessarily translate into legislative action.
Joseph McNamara, a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution said his support for gun control measures when he was serving as San Jose police chief prompted threatening mail and shots fired at his home.
"There is overwhelming public support,'' McNamara said. "People who do speak out in favor of gun control are subject to intimidation by the gun lobbyists that the public is not aware of.
"Because of the history of intimidation of police chiefs and politicians, there's a lot of silence from people who would otherwise speak in favor of reasonable gun control if they didn't fear reprisal,'' he said.
Feinstein acknowledged the difficult politics when she introduced her gun legislation Thursday.
"It will be an uphill battle, there's no question,'' Feinstein said.
Feinstein said it will take public pressure to persuade opponents that without action there will be more tragedies.
"See what your silence does,'' she said. "There will be more of these. These aren't going to end.''
Nearly all of California's 38 Democratic House members are vocal advocates of gun control. Those who represent more rural areas, such as Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno and Gloria Negrete-McLeod of Chino are less enthusiastic about strict controls, but have indicated a willingness to work with Obama and Feinstein.
No Republican has expressed a similar flexibility.
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, a skilled skeet shooter and avid hunter, was named to head the Democratic gun control efforts in the House by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, with an eye toward persuading gun owners that some restrictions are reasonable.
Thompson said legislation might be more successful if gun owners do not feel threatened that their guns will be taken away.
"If you're going to call it gun control, you're going to divide the country. If you're interested in calling it gun violence prevention, then people will work together," he said.
The California News Service is a journalism project of the University of California Washington Center and the UC Berkeley School of Journalism. Email the California News Service at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Marketing matters: Increasing microinsurance coverage beyond lowering prices: Guest Post by Jonathan Bauchet
Poor households in developing countries face large and varied risks. Many agriculture-dependent households, for example, are at risk of drought- or flood-induced crop failures or livestock deaths. The death of a family member often implies having to fund expensive burial ceremonies, and if the deceased was the household's primary earner, replacing her/his stream of income is an even bigger problem.


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Carney recasts Obama words on Afghanistan
TOLEDO, Ohio — President Obama did not rule out a future U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan when he told a campaign rally in Colorado Sunday that all U.S. forces would be out by the end of 2014, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters.
"We are bringing our troops home from Afghanistan. And I've set a timetable. We will have them all out of there by 2014," Obama told a crowd in Boulder Sunday afternoon as he slammed GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney for dodging the issue during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.
However, about two hours after Obama spoke, Carney said in a press briefing aboard Air Force One that the president had not pledged a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"He never said that all the troops would be out," the press secretary declared. "What we've said, as we did in Iraq -- and I think this is a good way to look at it —is in Iraq, there were steps of—sort of milestones where troops began to come home, more and more authorities transferred over to Iraqi security forces. The U.S. forces that remained as that process took place moved out of the cities and on to bases. And then the full transfer took place and combat mission ended, after which remaining U.S. forces eventually came home and the last U.S. soldier left, with the exception obviously of those who are at the embassy."
Carney said the president was simply referring to the NATO-endorsed strategy of transferring all of Afghanistan's provinces to Afghan security control by 2014. The press secretary accused reporters of dwelling on semantics, even as he used language that seemed substantially at odds with what Obama said earlier in the day.
"I understand you're trying to engage in a clever game of gotcha," Carney said. "Everyone understands what the president's policy is, which is, a full transition to Afghan security lead by 2014. We have been abundantly clear about the stages of the implementation of that policy and as in Iraq, that means that while not all US troops will have withdrawn necessarily by then, the Afghan security forces will be in full security transition, will be in full security lead and U.S. forces will continue to be drawn down."
During the Colorado speech, Obama kept up a fusillade he launched Saturday against Romney over the GOP nominee's lack of a clear policy on resolving the decade-long Afghanistan conflict.
"Governor Romney had nothing to say about Afghanistan last week," Obama said Sunday. "Governor Romney doesn't have a timetable. I think he's wrong. That's what's at stake in this election."
Asked about Romney's silence on the issue during his convention speech, Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom noted that Romney addressed Afghanistan in a speech to the American Legion Wednesday in Indianapolis.
"He spoke to Afghanistan in a big speech before the American Legion the night before the convention speech," Fehrnstrom said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday.
However, Romney's mention of the Afghan war accounted for only 15 seconds of his 16-minute policy address to the Legion.
"Of course, we are still at war in Afghanistan. We still have uniformed men and women in conflict, risking their lives just as you once did. How deeply we appreciate their sacrifice. We salute them. We honor them. We respect and love them," the GOP nominee said.