by Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times

April 23, 2010

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed the toughest law against illegal immigration in the country, shrugging aside warnings from religious and civil rights leaders — and President Obama — that it would lead to widespread racial profiling.

Hours after Obama denounced the measure as "misguided," Brewer held a signing ceremony for the bill, which makes it a crime to be in the state illegally and requires police to check suspects for immigration paperwork.

Obama signaled that a legal showdown might be possible and that his administration would "examine the civil rights and other implications" of the law. Department of Justice officials said they "were reviewing the bill" but declined to discuss the legislation further. Immigrant rights groups have vowed a court fight, arguing that regulating immigration is a federal matter.

Brewer, at an afternoon news conference in Phoenix, cast the law in terms of public safety, saying, "We cannot sacrifice our safety to the murderous greed of drug cartels." Brewer said she would order the state police training agency to form guidelines to train officers and protect against racial profiling.

Brewer spent as much time during her remarks talking about diversity and the need to avoid racial profiling as she did about fighting crime and protecting Arizona from illegal immigration. "People across America are watching Arizona, seeing how we implement this law, ready to jump on the slightest misstep," she said.

But the law's opponents were highly skeptical that it could be enforced without police singling out Latinos. One provision of the law prevents police from using race "solely" to form a suspicion about someone's legality, but the law does not prevent race from being a factor.

The bill, SB 1070, landed on Brewer's desk Monday afternoon; she had until Saturday to sign or veto it. The Republican governor, who is advocating a 1% sales tax hike on the ballot next month, faces a tough primary in August. Virtually every Republican in the state Legislature voted for the bill.

Hundreds of high school students left classes this week in protest, pouring into the plaza outside the state Capitol and urging a veto. Religious leaders and police chiefs — and thousands of callers to the governor's office — pressed for Brewer to reject the bill. Some Arizona officials argued it would stigmatize the state much as its past refusal to honor the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. U.S. Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, a Democrat who represents southern Arizona, called for a convention boycott of his own state.

But a recent poll showed that 70% of state voters supported the measure — even though 53% said it could lead to civil rights violations. Because of that broad support in a state that is the main gateway for illegal immigrants into the United States, people on both sides of the debate have long expected Brewer to sign the bill.

"It's a sad day for the country," said Alfredo Gutierrez, a former Arizona Senate majority leader who fought against the bill. "This is the most oppressive piece of legislation since the Japanese internment camp act" during World War II, he added.

Supporters of the measure were elated.

"Arizona is actually taking the lead in doing what the president is failing to do, which is to protect the interests of the people of Arizona," said Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. "What the Legislature and Gov. Brewer are saying is, ‘If the president won't do it, we're going to do it ourselves.' "

Unless opponents can stop it with lawsuits, the law will take effect 90 days after the legislative session ends this month or in May.

The law creates the new misdemeanor and requires police to enforce it. The law's supporters argue that fears of widespread racial profiling are overblown and that the measure will instead be used sparingly by police to augment investigations into crimes.

But many of those supporters also cite the office of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose deputies have for years enforced federal immigration laws, as a model for how the rest of Arizona police should operate. Arpaio's office is regularly accused of racially profiling Latinos and is subject to a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

"The state of Arizona has turned its back on everything we call American," said Father Glenn Jenks of the Arizona Interfaith Network, one of a wide range of religious groups that urged a veto. "The Hispanic community is already terrorized. Many of them are saying, ‘We're going to get out of here' — and not just illegal immigrants."

In Washington, Obama cited the law during a citizenship ceremony for 24 active-duty service members as an example of why the nation needs a comprehensive immigration overhaul.

"Our failure to act responsibly at the federal level will only open the door to irresponsibility by others," Obama said in the Rose Garden ceremony . "That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and our communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe."

Obama has devoted more energy to passing an immigration bill this year, but the prospects remain dim, with only one Republican senator voicing measured support and some Democrats hoping it gets put off.

In Arizona, officials said they acted because the federal government had failed to secure their border with Mexico, making the state vulnerable to drug traffickers and human smugglers who are blamed in the killing of a rancher on his land in southern Arizona last month.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Brewer's predecessor, said the law would hinder federal law enforcement efforts in the state.

"With the strong support of state and local law enforcement, I vetoed several similar pieces of legislation as governor of Arizona because they would have diverted critical law enforcement resources from the most serious threats to public safety and undermined the vital trust between local jurisdictions and the communities they serve," she said in a statement.

State Sen. Russell Pearce, who wrote the legislation, scoffed at Obama's opposition, contending that the president stood "against law enforcement, our citizens and the rule of law."

Gutierrez said Obama's statements heartened activists who were angered by recent federal immigration raids and the lack of an immigration bill in Washington. "People were beginning to feel mighty abandoned by the administration," he said, "and that helped calm it."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-immigration-20100424,0,6272019,print.story

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Court defeat brings Roman Polanski closer to L.A. return, legal expert says

Roman Polanski's bid to end his three-decade-long child sex case without returning to Los Angeles suffered a major setback this week when a state appellate court denied his latest request to be sentenced while he remains under house arrest in Switzerland.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal at one time appeared sympathetic to the filmmaker's arguments, suggesting last year that the controversy could be resolved if Polanski asked to be sentenced in absentia.

But the same court on Thursday rejected arguments by Polanski's lawyers that a judge should sentence the acclaimed director to time served for having sex with a 13-year-old girl before his extradition proceeding is resolved. The court did not hold a hearing or issue a written opinion on the request.

“The appellate court shut him down pretty strongly,” said Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson. “The clear message is that if anything is going to happen in this case, it's going to be with him coming back to the United States.”

Unless Polanski's attorneys can persuade the California Supreme Court to intervene, the focus of the long-running legal saga will shift back to Switzerland, where authorities must decide whether to extradite Polanski. 

The Swiss Justice Ministry had said authorities would delay a decision until California courts ruled on whether Polanski could be sentenced without returning to the U.S. Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza ruled earlier this year that he would not sentence the director as long as he remained a fugitive.

Polanski has argued that his 1977 sex crimes case was tainted by judicial and prosecutorial misconduct.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/court-defeat-brings-roman-polanski-closer-to-la-return-legal-expert-says.html

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Police ambushed in Juarez; 8 people killed

A 17-year-old passerby and at least seven officers are slain as two police cars are attacked. Officials say the midday assault may have been retaliation for recent arrests targeting drug gangs.

by Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times

April 24, 2010

Reporting from Mexico City

Two police cars apparently lured into an intersection in the violent city of Ciudad Juarez on Friday were ambushed by gunmen. At least seven officers were killed in the brazen midday attack, along with a 17-year-old passerby.

Two other injured officers were hospitalized and under heavy guard, said public security spokesman Enrique Torres, to prevent gunmen from attempting to finish the job.

All but one of the dead officers were from the U.S.-trained federal police force. The seventh was a municipal policewoman. A contingent of 5,000 federal police agents took over security of Juarez two weeks ago as part of a plan to phase out the army, which has occupied the city — Mexico's deadliest — for two years. The death toll has skyrocketed over that period.

Bullet-pocked police trucks remained on the street for some time after the ambush, surrounded by bodies covered in white sheets.

As drug-war violence continued to intensify, sucking in innocents caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, dozens of people were killed across Mexico on Thursday and Friday.

All told, according to government statistics, more than 22,700 people have been killed since President Felipe Calderon launched a military-led offensive against well-armed and powerful drug cartels shortly after he assumed office in December 2006.

Juarez has long been one of the focal points of ruthless warfare among rival gangs. Hundreds of people have been killed this year alone in the besieged city just across the Rio Grande from El Paso. A U.S. Consulate official, her husband and the husband of another consular employee were among the victims last month.

Public Security Ministry officials said in a statement that Friday's ambush on federal officers may have been in retaliation for a round of arrests this week, including eight suspected of trafficking who were seized Thursday.

The two patrol units attacked were apparently beckoned to a stop by a vendor, the officials said, and then gunmen poured from the rear of waiting vehicles and opened fire. They shot from at least two sides, then escaped. One of the assailants may have been wounded.

By late afternoon, no suspects were reported arrested.

The identity of the 17-year-old civilian killed in the shooting was not immediately released.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-0424-mexico-cop-killings-20100424,0,5639448,print.story

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Guilty plea in New York subway plot

Zarein Ahmedzay says Al Qaeda leaders ordered him to bomb Manhattan subway lines just after the Sept. 11 anniversary in 2009. The Afghan immigrant and U.S. citizen had previously pleaded not guilty.

Associated Press

April 24, 2010

NEW YORK

A New York man who authorities say plotted with an admitted Al Qaeda associate to set off homemade bombs in the city's subway system pleaded guilty Friday to charges including conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction.

Zarein Ahmedzay said in court in Brooklyn that he had received orders from Al Qaeda leaders to bomb Manhattan subway lines in September 2009. He also pleaded guilty to providing material support to Al Qaeda.

Authorities say he joined admitted Al Qaeda associate Najibullah Zazi and another friend from their high school in the New York City borough of Queens on a 2008 trip to Pakistan to seek terrorism training.

Zazi, a Colorado airport van driver, told a judge earlier this year that he tested bomb-making materials in a Denver suburb before traveling by car to New York with the intent of attacking the subway system to avenge U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan.

Ahmedzay, an Afghan immigrant, and the third suspect, Adis Medunjanin, had previously pleaded not guilty to charges that they sought to join Zazi in what prosecutors described as three "coordinated suicide bombing attacks" on the Manhattan subway. The bombings were planned for the days after the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, authorities said.

Medunjanin, who is originally from Bosnia, and Ahmedzay are U.S. citizens. They and Zazi attended Flushing High School in Queens.

"This plot, as well as others we have encountered, makes clear we face a continued threat from Al Qaeda and its affiliates overseas," Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a statement Friday. "With three guilty pleas already and the investigation continuing, this prosecution underscores the importance of using every tool we have available to both disrupt plots against our nation and hold suspected terrorists accountable."

Prosecutors say the attacks were modeled after the London transit system bombings in July 2005, when four suicide bombers killed 52 people and themselves in an attack on three subway trains and a bus.

The New York plot was disrupted in early September when police officials stopped Zazi's car as it entered New York.

Last month, an Afghanistan-born imam linked to the suspects pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about the men. He was sentenced to time served and ordered to leave the United States.

Officials have said a fourth suspect is in custody in Pakistan, but have given no other details about him.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-terror-plea-20100424,0,6832055,print.story

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Search ends for 11 missing oil rig workers off Louisiana

From the Associated Press

April 23, 2010

NEW ORLEANS

Coast Guard officials today suspended the three-day search for 11 workers missing since an explosion rocked an offshore oil rig, saying they believe the men never made it off the platform that erupted into a giant fireball.

Coast Guard Capt. Peter Troedsson said he spoke with all the workers' families about the decision to suspend the search before announcing it to the media.

"I'm a father and husband, and I have done this a few times before. It's never easy. Your heart goes out to these people," Troedsson said.

The Coast Guard says it will resume the search if any ships in the area see anything, but the workers' chances of survival had seemed slim well before this afternoon's announcement. "The time of reasonable expectation of survivability has passed," Rear Adm. Mary Landry said.

What caused Tuesday's massive blast off the Louisiana coast is unknown. As the search was ending, oil company crews were trying to clean up the environmental mess created by the Deepwater Horizon, which finally sank Thursday. The other 115 crew members made it off the platform, though four were critically hurt.

Federal regulators did not need this week's explosion aboard the state-of-the-art rig to know the offshore drilling industry needed new safety rules: Dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries over the last several years had already convinced them that changes were needed.

The U.S. Minerals and Management Service is developing regulations aimed at preventing human error, which it identified as a factor in many of the more than 1,400 offshore oil drilling accidents between 2001 and 2007.

The Deepwater Horizon was the site of a 2005 fire found to have been caused by human error. An MMS investigation determined that a crane operator on the rig had become distracted while refueling the crane, allowing diesel fuel to overflow. Records show the fire was quickly contained, but caused $60,000 in damage to the crane.

An MMS review published last year found 41 deaths and 302 injuries out of 1,443 accidents from 2001 to 2007, the majority of caused by human error and operational and maintenance problems.

As a result of the findings, the MMS is developing new rules that would require rig operators to develop programs focused on preventing human error, an area that hadn't received as much attention in the past. The agency, which has yet to implement the new rules, also proposed audits once every three years.

Environmentalists say that while new technology touted by oil industry executives continues to improve, people still have to oversee those devices and human error remains a widespread problem.

"You can't outlaw human error," Richard Charter, a senior policy adviser with Defenders of Wildlife, who has been involved in drilling issues for 30 years, said of Tuesday's explosion. "It's one of the sidebar issues now emerging for the Horizon incident -- these are common incidents and this was just a bigger one."

Opponents of President Barack Obama's plan for more offshore drilling, particularly off the East Coast, say the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon should be taken as a warning to slow the fervor to "drill, baby drill."

"I would hope it would serve as another wake-up call on this issue that there is no such thing as safe oil drilling," said Sara Wan, a member of the California Coastal Commission, a state regulatory agency. "Once that oil starts leaking in the ocean, that damage is irreversible. You just look at what happened with Exxon-Valdez -- they're still feeling the effects of it. There's no real way to clean it up."

Obama showed no sign of budging today. Spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president still believes increasing domestic oil production can be done safely, securely and without harming the environment.

"I don't honestly think it opens up a whole new series of questions, because, you know, in all honesty I doubt this is the first accident that has happened and I doubt it will be the last," Gibbs said.

On March 31, Obama called for new offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean from Delaware to central Florida, plus the northern waters of Alaska. He also wants Congress to lift a drilling ban in the oil-rich eastern Gulf of Mexico, 125 miles from Florida beaches.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said today that the Obama administration's drilling plan would assess potential risks and benefits of any offshore site before drilling is pursued. No new lease sales are planned before at least 2012.

An undetermined amount of oil has spilled from the Deepwater Horizon, which is owned by Transocean Ltd. The sheen appeared to cover an area about two miles wide and eight miles long this afternoon, said Petty Officer Ashley Butler of the Coast Guard.

BP PLC, which leased the rig and is taking the lead in the cleanup, said it has activated an extensive oil spill response, including using remotely operated vehicles to assess the well and 32 vessels to mop up the spill.

Rear Adm. Landry said no oil appeared to be leaking from a well head at the ocean floor, nor was any leaking at the water's surface. But she said crews were closely monitoring the rig for any more crude that might spill out.

About half a dozen boats were using booms to trap the thin sheen, which extended about seven miles north of the rig site. There was no sign of wildlife being affected; the Louisiana coast is about 50 miles away.

Strong winds were blowing generally from the south as a cold front approached from Texas. The passage of the front late today or Saturday was expected to shift winds to the north, which could push the sheen away from the coast. Crews were trying to contain what spilled and prevent any threat to the coast's fragile coastal wetlands -- nurseries for fish and shrimp and habitat for birds.

The Marine Spill Response Corp., an energy industry cleanup consortium, brought seven skimmer boats to suck oily water from the surface, four planes that can scatter chemicals to disperse oil, and 500,000 feet -- 94.6 miles -- of containment boom, a floating barrier with a skirt that drapes down under the water and corrals the oil.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson called for a congressional investigation of safety practices at offshore oil rigs. Nelson, a Florida Democrat who has led opposition to offshore drilling, said he asked the U.S. Interior Department to investigate and provide a comprehensive report on all U.S. drilling accidents over at least the last decade.

"The tragedy off the coast of Louisiana shows we need to be asking a lot more tough questions of big oil," Nelson said. "I think we need to look back over 10 years or so to see if the record denies the industry's claims about safety and technology."

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-0424-oil-rig-wire,0,2499650,print.story

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Man removed from N.Y.-bound airliner

Officials said they acted after a derogatory e-mail from a Gambian passenger's relative. The relative denies sending it.

by Richard A. Serrano and Ken Dilanian, Tribune Washington Bureau

April 24, 2010

Reporting from Washington

A derogatory e-mail from a relative led federal authorities to remove a Gambian man from a New York-bound jetliner Thursday during an unscheduled refueling stop in Puerto Rico, according to a law enforcement source.

The move underscored pressure on airline security officials since an attempted Christmas Day jetliner bombing, when authorities did not act on security concerns that had been expressed by the suspect's father.

After the Gambian was taken off the plane, the captain said over the intercom that he had been a "serious security threat," said passenger Joan Mower, director of development for the Voice of America, a government-funded news service.

But federal authorities are no longer convinced of that, the law enforcement source said. When contacted, the relative denied sending the e-mail to U.S. authorities and disputed that the passenger was dangerous.

Delta Flight 215 had taken off from Abuja, Nigeria, late Wednesday and stopped in Dakar, Senegal, early Thursday en route to New York. There was no indication of a disruption during the flight, Mower said.

"The passenger was removed from the flight for further questioning and remains in … custody," U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a two-sentence statement, calling him "a potential person of interest." A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security provided no further details.

The law enforcement source, who asked not to be identified because the investigation is continuing, said officials initially planned to talk to the passenger after the plane landed at New York's John F. Kennedy airport. But high winds forced the pilot to stop and refuel in San Juan, the Puerto Rican capital, the source said, and the man was taken off the plane at that time by Customs and Border Patrol agents.

"This all turned out to have no basis," the source said. The source would not discuss the timing or content of the relative's e-mail, or why the relative later disavowed it.

Jeffrey Quinones, a spokesman for the Customs and Border Patrol in Puerto Rico, said the passenger had not been charged with any crime.

U.S. officials monitoring airline security have been under pressure since a botched bombing attempt on Christmas Day that federal officials said was carried out by Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who is suspected of ties to Al Qaeda.

Abdulmutallab's father had contacted the U.S. Embassy to express concerns about his son's extremist views. Those concerns did not lead authorities to deny him a visa or otherwise track his movements, an omission that drew criticism after officials said he attempted to blow up the Detroit-bound airplane.

Since then, the government's no-fly list has nearly doubled, from about 3,400 people to about 6,000, the Associated Press has reported, citing government officials.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-flight-passenger-20100424,0,280660,print.story

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L.A. flight to Tampa diverted after man allegedly tries to open cabin door

A flight from Los Angeles to Tampa, Fla., was diverted early Friday after a passenger allegedly became disruptive and tried to open a cabin door, authorities said.

Delta Air Lines Flight 2148 was en route to Tampa from Los Angeles when Stanley Dwayne Sheffield, 46, allegedly attempted to open a cabin door, according to FBI Supervisory Special Agent Darrin Jones.

Crew members and passengers were able to subdue Sheffield, and the Airbus A320 was diverted to Albuquerque and landed at about 1:30 a.m., Jones said.

Sheffield was taken into federal custody and likely faces charges of interference with flight crew members and destruction of aircraft, Jones said.

Jones said it was unclear why the man tried to open the door and that the incident was not terrorism-related. No one was injured in the incident, he said.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/

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South Korea volunteers aim to help world's poor

Seoul has launched a Peace Corps-like effort, sending volunteers abroad. South Korea pulled itself out of poverty, and feels it has something to offer — besides, a stint can plump up a resume.

John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times

April 24, 2010

Reporting from Seoul

On a solo trip to Laos in 2008, Lim Keon-yeob's well-mapped career plans took an unlikely detour. All around, he saw social outreach programs run by Americans and Japanese.

Where, he asked, were the South Koreans?

Back home, friends pressed the 24-year-old on his goal to become a soldier or teacher. But Lim suddenly had other ideas.

He volunteered for World Friends Korea, a newly formed South Korean version of the U.S. Peace Corps. Rather than hitting the club scene and eating home-cooked meals, Lim currently works as an athletics coach in a Cambodian village without electricity, at night listening to Korean pop music on his short-wave radio.

"I have a dream to build a school on a small island floating in the Mekong River in Laos. Kids now go to school by taking a dangerous ferryboat and walking on a dangerous unpaved road," he said. "To achieve the goal, I am studying hard and making plans."

South Korea's international volunteer program is one way this bustling Asian nation is marking its emergence as one of the world's most industrialized nations.

Founded in 2009, the World Friends Korea program consolidated several smaller volunteer efforts under one umbrella. The organization now has 3,000 volunteers working in 40 countries, a number second only to the 8,000 enrolled in America's Peace Corps, officials here say.

Not all volunteers are young — many are retired, members of a generation that lived through the 1950s conflict with North Korea and the subsequent hard times. By 2015, the program is due to expand its ranks to 20,000.

"South Korea's development as a nation is due in part to the generous contribution of the international community," said Lee Chan-buom, coordinator of the program's launch. "We can empathize with the nations we assist because 50 years ago, there was widespread famine in Korea. For many volunteers, that starvation is a childhood memory."

But in a nation obsessed with success and ranking, some question the altruism of programs such as World Friends Korea.

In a spin on the line from President Kennedy's inaugural address, some chide South Korean volunteers for having the attitude: Don't ask what you can do for the world, but what the world can do for your resume.

Many volunteers do see the program as a way to sell themselves in a downsizing job market, analysts say.

"Overseas volunteer activities are considered a special [resume builder] you cannot earn domestically," said Shin Kwang-yeong, a sociology professor at Chung-Ang University in Seoul. "They are valued highly, so that is why people prefer those activities."

One World Friends Korea veteran said the experience provided an opportunity to help himself as much as it did others. Volunteers usually enlist for two years, but students can do shorter stints during university breaks.

"If you are part of a volunteer project led by a company or big enterprise like Hyundai, your first goal could be a PR job for that company," said Seo Ki-tae, 27, who volunteered to work one month each in Indonesia and Paraguay during school vacations. "For some, the pure motive of voluntary service comes as a secondary issue."

Seo sees no conflict. "Of course, these activities help me with career-seeking," he said. "It was not my primary goal, but for self-management, it's not a bad thing. While you are doing voluntary service, you can build your own career."

Still, he had a warning for volunteers who see the program as an easy way to earn bonus points on their resumes: "It's not romantic or exotic. You should imagine a life where you only have dirty rainwater to drink."

For his part, Lim acknowledges having fretted over his choice. "I was worried even on the plane because overseas volunteering is very dangerous," he said. "But my concerns all slipped away when I saw the smiles of local officials."

Lim became so committed that he recently signed up for a second year in Cambodia. When the time comes, he knows the hardship will pay personal dividends.

"I now want to work in the field of international development, so how do you get that kind of experience?" he said. "It's like mountain climbing. There's a shortcut, and even a cable car, so to speak. But either way, we reach the goal."

Last fall, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak articulated the goal of the program he helped shape, saying Koreans sought to "share our ambition that served as one of the major driving forces behind the nation's transformation into one of the top-tier economic powerhouses from one of the world's poorest nations."

As the program's volunteers fan out across the globe, World Friends Korea officials hope President Lee will one day have inspired the same level of altruism Kennedy did half a century ago.

Said coordinator Lee: "That's something for the world to decide."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-korea-volunteer-20100424,0,5351106,print.story

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11 Somalis charged with piracy in attacks on U.S. Navy

The men, appearing in federal court in Virginia, were captured off Africa.

Associated Press

April 24, 2010

NORFOLK, Va.

— Eleven Somalis accused of attacking two U.S. Navy ships off Africa appeared in a federal court in Virginia on Friday shortly after being indicted on charges of piracy.

There was heavy security at the courthouse when the men appeared in handcuffs and prison outfits. One of the men used crutches and had a bandage wrapped around his head. Another used a wheelchair, and his leg, amputated below the knee, was covered in bandages.

The men did not enter pleas. An interpreter read them the charges of piracy, attacks to plunder a vessel, assault with a dangerous weapon and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Magistrate Tommy Miller scheduled a detention hearing Wednesday and ordered the men to be kept in custody until then. The men have no listed assets, so they will be assigned defense attorneys.

Five of the men were captured March 31, after the frigate Nicholas exchanged fire with a suspected pirate vessel west of the Seychelles, sinking a skiff and confiscating its mother ship.

The other six were captured, authorities said, after they began shooting at the amphibious dock landing ship Ashland on April 10 about 380 miles off Djibouti, a small nation facing Yemen across the mouth of the Red Sea.

For weeks, the 11 had been held on U.S. ships off Somalia's pirate-infested coast as officials determined whether and where the suspects could be prosecuted and prepared legal charges against them.

The transfer of the case to a U.S. court comes amid discussions about setting up an international court to prosecute piracy suspects. Some nations have been reluctant to do that because of difficulties transporting suspects, fears they may claim asylum and thorny jurisdiction issues.

The Somali mission to the United Nations said it was attempting to sort out jurisdictional issues.

"We prefer those kids to be tried in Somalia," said Omar Jamal, first secretary for the mission.

U.S. warships are part of an international flotilla protecting shipping in the region. The navies of other countries also have taken suspects home for trial.

Kenya, south of Somalia, has taken some to its courts but now says pirating cases are putting too much strain on its court system.

Some pirate suspects have been released after capture because no nation could be found to try them.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-somali-pirates-20100424,0,4316311,print.story

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San Diego County sheriff, medical examiner refuse news requests for information about girls' murders

The San Diego County Sheriff''s Department and Medical Examiner's Office on Friday declined requests from news organizations to release documents about the murders of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois. Both public agencies referred the requests to their legal advisors.

News organizations, including The Times, requested the investigation and arrest reports from the Sheriff's Department and autopsy records from the Medical Examiner's Office.

On Thursday, Superior Court Judge David Danielsen refused a request from the King family to seal all records from the case. He also dropped a gag order issued March 9 on prosecutors, defense attorneys and investigators.

Registered sex offender John Albert Gardner III pleaded guilty last week to the murder and attempted rape of both teens. He is set to be sentenced June 1 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Media attorney Guylin Cummins argued before Danielsen that the documents are necessary for news organizations to fully report on the high-profile cases. But attorneys for the King family argued that Chelsea's parents, Brent and Kelly King, and her 13-year-old brother, Tyler, would suffer additional trauma if documents such as the autopsy reports are made public.

San Diego attorney Edward Patrick Swan Jr., representing the Kings, said that the Victims'  Bill of Rights passed by voters in 2008 should allow for the sealing of records. The measure, also known as Marsy's Law, extends privacy protection to the families of crime victims.

But Danielsen disagreed, saying he sees nothing in that law that prohibits the disclosure of some records. He did not, however, order such disclosure, leaving the decision to law enforcement agencies holding the records.

Within minutes of Danielsen's ruling, Dist. Atty. Bonnie Dumanis and Sheriff Bill Gore announced that, despite the gag order being dropped, that they would continue to remain silent on the case. Dumanis said she would attempt to convince all law enforcement agencies to do the same.

On Monday, the same issues of disclosure versus privacy are expected to be examined as news organizations go to court seeking the unsealing of 10 search warrants from the case. Whether the King family will oppose the unsealing of the warrants is unclear.

Danielsen also left open the potential for the King family to appeal his ruling about disclosure of other records.

Two San Diego television stations bowed to the King family request and did not quote from a deposition given to the court by Brent King explaining how his family would be harmed by disclosure of facts about his daughter's murder and the postmortem rape examination done on her.

"Whenever we see or hear about the heinous crimes which took the dignity and life of our beloved Chelsea, we have nightmares and panic as we visualize how she must have spent her last few minutes and seconds of her life," Brent King wrote.

Gardner admitted to strangling Chelsea King, 17, of Poway, and stabbing Amber Dubois, 14, of Escondido, both during rape attempts. King was killed in late February, Dubois a year earlier.

Gardner was initially linked to King's murder by DNA found on a scrap of clothing discovered near the jogging path at Lake Hodges where she was attacked. Gardner, once arrested in the King murder, led investigators to Dubois' skeletal remains.

Dean Nelson, director of the journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, said the issue pits the media's traditional role as the watchdog of public officials, including those in law enforcement, against the need not to sensationalize crime news and inflict pain on victims' families.

“I personally don't think it serves the public interest to share all details of the crime, and especially all details on how the victim's family are coping,” Nelson said. “We need an aggressive news media, but not a news media without sensitivity and compassion. “

Although some San Diego journalists are concerned that should the King family succeed in sealing documents, it could lead to more public records being closed, Nelson doubts that would happen.

"Judges will be more inclined to seal future cases if the news media go the route of sensationalism instead of showing some restraint," he said.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/the-san-diego-county-sheriffs-department-and-medical-examiners-office-today-declined-requests-from-news-organizations-to-rel.html#more

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Maid raped and set on fire while cleaning home finally gets justice, family says

Five years ago, authorities responding to a fire at an upscale Manhattan Beach oceanside apartment found the body of Libia Cabrera.

The 41-year-old maid, who regularly cleaned the 28th Street home had been bound, gagged, sexually assaulted and stabbed in the neck. Burned beyond recognition, her body was found in a second-story bedroom.

This week, a man was sentenced to 49 years to life in prison after being convicted of the April 11, 2005, murder.

Milton Gallardo, 28, was linked to the homicide by DNA evidence two years ago, when authorities found him inside state prison.

At an emotional hearing Thursday, family members told the judge how painful their loss has been, describing Cabrera as a mother who came to California from her native Colombia hoping to provide a better life for her children. They urged the judge to provide them with justice in the long-running case.

"If there is a place called hell, the hottest place is reserved for this defendant," Torrance Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold said, according to the Daily Breeze. "He lacks a soul."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/

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From the Daily News

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Arizona governor signs immigration enforcement bill

PHOENIX — Gov. Jan Brewer ignored criticism from President Barack Obama on Friday and signed into law a bill supporters said would take handcuffs off police in dealing with illegal immigration in Arizona, the nation's gateway for human and drug smugglers.

With hundreds of people surrounding the state Capitol, protesting that the bill would lead to civil rights abuses, Brewer said she wouldn't tolerate racial profiling. She said critics were "overreacting."

"We in Arizona have been more than patient waiting for Washington to act," Brewer said after signing the law. "But decades of inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation."

Obama said earlier Friday that he's instructed the Justice Department to examine the Arizona bill to see if it's legal, and said the federal government must enact immigration reform at the national level - or leave the door open to "irresponsibility by others."

"That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe," Obama said.

The bill, sent to the Republican governor by the GOP-led Legislature, would make it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. It would also require local police officers to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal immigrants.

The bill takes effect 90 days after the legislative session ends in the next several weeks.

Demonstrators have been camped outside the Capitol since the measure passed out of the Legislature on Monday. Their numbers have grown steadily throughout the week, with buses bringing protesters from as far away as Los Angeles.

Brewer, who faces a tough election battle and growing anger in the state over illegal immigrants, said the law "protects every Arizona citizen."

Arizona has an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants and is the state with the most illegal border crossings, with the harsh, remote desert serving as the gateway for thousands of Mexicans and Central Americans.

U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Democrat who opposes the measure, said he's closing his Arizona offices at noon Friday after his staff in Yuma and Tucson were flooded with calls this week, some from people threatening violent acts and shouting racial slurs.

The bill's Republican sponsor, state Rep. Russell Pearce of Mesa, said Obama and other critics of the bill were "against law enforcement, our citizens and the rule of law."

Pearce said the legislation would remove "political handcuffs" from police and help drive illegal immigrants from the state.

"Illegal is illegal," said Pearce, a driving force on the issue in Arizona. "We'll have less crime. We'll have lower taxes. We'll have safer neighborhoods. We'll have shorter lines in the emergency rooms. We'll have smaller classrooms."

Other provisions of the bill allow lawsuits against government agencies that hinder enforcement of immigration laws, and make it illegal to hire illegal immigrants for day labor or knowingly transport them.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_14946797

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NY girl helps choking friend, credits 'SpongeBob'

LIDO BEACH, N.Y. — When her best friend turned purple, Miriam Starobin's thoughts turned to yellow — cartoon hero SpongeBob SquarePants.

The denizen of fictional undersea Bikini Bottom was being credited Friday with inspiring a lifesaving rescue during music class at a seaside school earlier this week.

Miriam, a Long Beach Middle School seventh-grader, and her "BFF," Allyson Golden, had just finished rehearsing the "West Side Story" classic, "I Feel Pretty," for an upcoming choral competition when their teacher cracked a joke that had the 12-year-olds erupting in laughter.

"Allyson was chewing gum, which she shouldn't have been," Miriam recalled Friday in a mock tattletale voice during an interview in the principal's office. "We were laughing and then the gum gets lodged in Ally's throat. And she stopped laughing, which was weird because Ally laughs a lot."

That's when Miriam says she recalled an episode of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon, where she believes she saw SpongeBob use the Heimlich maneuver to retrieve a clarinet lodged in the throat of another character, Squidward.

"And I get her up and I do the Heimlich and the gum goes flying out of her mouth," she said.

Allyson, who pleads guilty to chewing a wad of Trident Original Flavor, realized almost immediately what her friend had done. "I gave her the biggest hug and I was like, 'Miriam you just saved my life. I owe you big time.' And she's just, 'Oh, no, it was no big deal.'"

The two were reveling Friday in their newfound fame. Their principal joked that they were considering having "hair and makeup" sessions to prepare for their television close-ups.

One little hiccup in the heartwarming story is that a Nickelodeon spokeswoman says there was never an actual episode of SpongeBob performing the Heimlich.

"Not that we can find," said spokeswoman Maria Poulos.

She said there was an episode where Squidward swallows a clarinet, but SpongeBob reaches down his throat to pull it out. In another episode, SpongeBob's pal Patrick tries to perform a "slimelick" maneuver by reaching around a clam, "but it didn't work," she said.

Neither Miriam nor Allyson were concerned with such technicalities.

"It didn't exactly show the Heimlich maneuver, per se, but SpongeBob kicked Squidward in the stomach the same way you would put pressure with your hands," Allyson said. Miriam says she is also a fan of medical shows like "Grey's Anatomy," but never had any formal training in the technique.

She rejects any suggestion that she is a hero.

"I mean heroes are people who literally risk their lives to save people," Miriam protested. "I mean I did something that really anyone could if they tried."

This is the second time in recent weeks that Long Beach Middle School has attracted media attention. Earlier this month, teen heartthrob Justin Bieber played a special performance at the school as a reward to students for collecting donations for a food bank.

"This is definitely better than Bieber," said principal Audrey Goropeuschek. "No offense to Justin Bieber, but I think youngsters at this age get so much bad press — bullying, sexting, drinking — and I think just to highlight something like this where Miriam was so quick to act, I'm just so proud."

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_14944318

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Unsung heroes fight disease

WHAT is an unsung hero?

Every day, I watch my son struggle with having a fatal disease called muscular dystrophy, which has robbed him of many of the things that the majority of children and adults take for granted.

He does not run like the other children and he certainly cannot play most types of sports. Thankfully he is still able to walk, although he is limited by distance.

There are many children with the disease who by his age of 9 have been robbed of their muscles and can no longer continue to walk and use a wheelchair. Life expectancy is also something that is regularly thought about since many die far too young.

One thing I do know is these boys and girls and adults alike make the best of their situation and still can enjoy life to the fullest even when limited by ability and time. This is evident by the smiles on their faces. These are the unsung heroes of the muscular dystrophy family and I am proud to be part of such a wonderful family.

There are many more unsung heroes, too many to mention but I will do my best to recognize a few more. During mid-February through March the greater Los Angeles community was transformed into a sea of green - shamrocks that is - resulting in the most successful local MDA Shamrocks against Dystrophy program ever. In spite of the economy, people were still willing to give.

Associates at grocery and convenience stores, restaurants and other retail locations have been unsung heroes for families like mine affected by muscle diseases. They asked customers who are also unsung heroes to buy green and gold shamrock mobiles to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. These enthusiastic employees helped remind our community of why it's important to share the shamrocks' spirit to help Los Angeles area families like ours.

It was exciting to see the incredible paper shamrocks displays on the walls and windows of outstanding businesses like Albertsons, Lowe's, Northgate Markets, Bristol Farms, Burger King and many others.

Every Shamrock purchased was signed by customers who generously joined caring local companies in helping to advance MDA's life-saving mission. The funds generated through the shamrocks program will make a difference in the life my son, Jared, and the lives of other children with a neuromuscular disease right here in the Los Angeles area.

With the funds generated through programs like these, we can work together to find a treatment and/or cure to ensure children and adults alike live healthier, longer and wheelchair-free lives.

On behalf of families served by MDA, we are grateful and appreciative for the support from the shamrock sponsors and their "unsung heroes" - both employees and customers.

http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_14941054

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From the New York Times

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$18.5 Million in Liability for Scouts in Abuse Case

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Boy Scouts of America were ordered Friday to pay $18.5 million in a lawsuit that has focused new attention on the secret files the Scouts keep to document claims of sexual abuse by troop leaders and volunteers.

Known variously as the “perversion files,” the “red flag files” and the “ineligible volunteer files,” the documents have been maintained for more than 70 years at the Scouts' national office in Texas. Yet even after scores of abuse cases against the Scouts in recent decades, the case here is one of the few times that substantial portions of the files have been made accessible to a jury.

In Multnomah County Circuit Court on Friday, a jury found the Scouts liable for $18.5 million in punitive damages in a case brought by a man who was sexually abused by an assistant troop leader in the early 1980s, when the man was about 12. The verdict was by far the largest ever against the Scouts in a jury trial. The jury could have ordered the Scouts to pay up to $25 million. The same jury last week awarded the man, Kerry Lewis, $1.4 million in compensatory damages.

Most abuse cases involving the Scouts have ended in private settlements, and it is unknown how much the group has paid to victims.

In the Oregon case, about 1,000 files, from the years 1965 to 1984, were included as evidence, though the judge, John A. Wittmayer, allowed only the jury and lawyers involved to view them.

Lawyers for Mr. Lewis, who is now 37, said in court that the files detailed many instances across the country in which troop leaders or volunteers were allowed to continue working with children even after the Scouts had received complaints that they had committed sexual abuse.

“They hid the problem,” Paul Mones, a lawyer for Mr. Lewis, said in closing arguments on Thursday, “and by hiding the problem, more abuse happened.”

In the Oregon case, a former assistant troop leader, Timur Dykes, had admitted to molesting Mr. Lewis. Evidence has shown that Mr. Dykes, who has since been convicted in child-molesting cases, was allowed to interact with scouts even after leaders learned he had abused children.

Mr. Mones said in court that Mr. Lewis might not have been abused had the Scouts reported the information they collected. He said releasing the files would help deter abuse and show that the Scouts are confronting the issue at a national level.

Lawyers for the Scouts have argued that the files should be kept confidential to protect victims and wrongly accused adults. They also dispute the claim that the files have caused harm.

Chuck Smith, a lawyer for the Scouts, told jurors that the files proved that the Scouts were ahead of their time in tracking child sexual abuse, even if the system was “not foolproof.”

“Hopefully, if their name's in this file and there's a file on them, they can never be involved in the Boy Scouts again,” Mr. Smith told the jury. “I ask you folks, what is wrong with that? What's wrong with trying to maintain that kind of control?”

Several news organizations, including The New York Times, have filed a motion to gain access to the files.

The Scouts, based in Irving, Tex., would not discuss the case.

“Access to the file is kept private to protect accusers from retaliation and to protect the privacy of victims,” Deron Smith, a spokesman for the Scouts, wrote in an e-mail message. “And, since B.S.A. acts on suspicion, not proof, to guard against liability to those who may have been accused in error.”

Patrick Boyle, whose 1994 book “Scout's Honor” drew in part from access he gained to about 2,000 files kept by the Scouts, said releasing the files even in redacted form would benefit the public and the Scouts.

“The astonishing thing about this for the Scouts is how something that was so good turned out so bad for them,” said Mr. Boyle, who is editor of Youth Today , which covers the youth service industry. “This started out as a valuable system for child protection and it's turned into a major headache, largely because of the way they've handled it.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/us/24scouts.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

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‘The Firing Squad, Please,' Says Prisoner

Ronnie Lee Gardner had a quarter-century to ponder his choice, whether to die by lethal injection or take four bullets in the heart.

In a Utah courtroom Friday, 25 years after he was sentenced to death for killing a man during an escape attempt, he declared his preference to the judge: “I would like the firing squad, please.”

With Mr. Gardner's appeals apparently exhausted, Judge Robin W. Reese of Third District Court in Salt Lake City signed a warrant of execution and scheduled it for June 18.

Mr. Gardner's lawyer, Andrew Parnes, said he would make a new appeal to the State Supreme Court, which previously upheld the death sentence, arguing that his client did not receive proper help with experts and research before his sentencing and that execution after such a long wait would be cruel and unusual punishment.

Mr. Gardner also has the right within the next seven days to ask the Board of Pardons to commute his sentence to life in prison.

For decades, Utah let condemned prisoners choose whether to die by hanging or the firing squad, then more recently between lethal injection and a firing squad. In 2004, the Legislature ended the practice, making lethal injections standard. But to avoid legal complications, the state has allowed pre-existing prisoners who had selected the firing squad to remain with that option if they want.

Mr. Gardner picked the firing squad at the time of his initial death sentence in 1985. In two later court appearances he seemed to have had a change of heart, switching his choice to lethal injection. But in 1996 — the same year that the last prisoner in Utah, and the country, was executed with bullets — he said he had switched only out of concern for his children, who were then young, and that he had always preferred death by gunfire.

“I like the firing squad,” he told The Deseret News at the time. “It's so much easier ... and there's no mistakes.” In a telephone interview Friday, Mr. Parnes said that he would not comment on Mr. Gardner's reasons for “his personal decision.”

By law, state law enforcement officers would be the ones to fire the shots, but officials have not publicly described how they would be selected. Earlier this month, as Mr. Gardner was considering his decision, officials allowed Mr. Parnes to brief him on the protocols for lethal injection and for the firing squad. Mr. Parnes said that the court had ordered him not to reveal the details.

Procedures for the last two such executions in Utah, which officials said would largely be followed with Mr. Gardner, had five unidentified officers using identical .30-30 hunting rifles from a distance of about 20 feet. One rifle — which one unknown to the shooters — was loaded with a blank. The condemned man was strapped into a seat while wearing a black jumpsuit and a hood, with a white cloth circle placed over his heart to provide a target.

Lethal injection has become the method of choice throughout the country, used in more than 1,000 executions since it was introduced in the early 1980s. It is widely seen as more humane than the alternatives, but numerous cases have been reported in which drugs have been injected incorrectly, causing severe pain and gasping for minutes or more.

Four other men now sitting on Utah's death row were also sentenced before 1996 and initially selected the firing squad, so Mr. Gardner's shooting death would not necessarily be the last. Utah is the only state where such an execution is at all likely; only Oklahoma keeps it as a backup in case other methods are legally rejected.

Utah is phasing out firing squads because of the media attention and bad image they cause, legislators and corrections officials said.

It was in Utah in 1977 that Gary Gilmore was executed by firing squad, which he chose over hanging. His case became notorious, not only because it was the first execution in the nation after a 10-year legal hiatus, but also because he insisted on being put to death rather than pursuing appeals. “Let's do it,” he famously said just before his death.

In 1996 in Utah, John Albert Taylor became the only other prisoner in recent history to be executed by firing squad. The event attracted hordes of reporters who often, to the chagrin of Utah officials, invoked images of raw, frontier justice. Mr. Gardner's execution, if and when it occurs, appears certain to attract similar worldwide attention.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/us/24death.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

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From the White House

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A New Beginning: Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship

In his June 4th, 2009 address in Cairo, President Obama announced that the U.S. would host a Summit on Entrepreneurship to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations, and entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world. The Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship will be held this coming Monday and Tuesday, April 26-27th at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.

Co-hosted by the Departments of State and Commerce, the Summit will bring together more than 275 participants from over 50 countries around the world – from Morocco to Indonesia, Uganda to Kazakhstan, France to India. They include men and women from many different walks of life – business leaders from diverse sectors, educators, community organizers, and social entrepreneurs among others. With attendance by the President and various Cabinet Secretaries and senior U.S. Government officials, this Summit is meant to highlight the importance of entrepreneurship to fostering economic opportunity and community development. And, as the President said in Cairo almost one year ago, education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century, and the Summit will help build relationships that lead to greater opportunity at home and abroad.

We have some amazing participants from all around the world attending the Summit. They're here to identify ways to advance economic and social entrepreneurship, build networks among stakeholders in entrepreneurship, and provide an opportunity to establish partnerships that advance entrepreneurship. Check out some great coverage of the participants here and get additional information at www.entrepreneurship.gov/summit .

We want you to be able to participate in this discussion, too. At the Summit on Entrepreneurship, GOOD , an independent media platform and community for the globally-conscious people, businesses, and NGOs will interview featured entrepreneurs to capture their perspectives on how to advance entrepreneurship around the world. You can also watch the President's remarks here on whitehouse.gov/live .

Jenny Urizar is Director for Global Engagement at the National Security Council

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/04/23/a-new-beginning-presidential-summit-entrepreneurship

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From the Department of Homeland Security

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The Women-Owned Small Business Program

The Department of Homeland Security is committed to providing assistance to Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs) to learn about doing business with the Department. The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization provides information to WOSBs on obtaining prime contracts and subcontracts. The WOSB community is breaking new ground in various areas and is an integral part in the Department's continuous effort in supporting our team with effective and innovative products and services while they are serving to protect our homeland.

What are Women-Owned Small Businesses?

Women owned businesses are small business concerns at least 51% owned by women who are United States citizens and who also control and operate the business. "Control" means exercising the power to make policy decisions. "Operate" means being actively involved in the day-to-day management of the business.

Currently, there is a law in place, PL1005-664, that provides for a Women-Owned set-aside. The Small Business Administration first needs to complete implementation. Agencies have a goal to award 5% of their acquisition dollars to women-owned small businesses. While this program is one of special emphasis, regulations have not been finalized and do not provide procedures.

Proposed Rule

• Women-Owned Small Business SBA News Release (PDF, 2 pages - 43 KB)
• Women-Owned Small Business Federal Register Announcement
• The Department's Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization WOSB Presentation

Key Resources for Working with the Department

• Getting Started Contracting with the Department of Homeland Security
• Marketing Tips and How to Market Your Company
• Mentor-Protégé Program
• Forecast of Contract Opportunities
• Small Business Conferences

Federal Resources for Women-Owned Businesses

• Women's Business Center
• SBA Office of Women's Business Ownership
• Register for the Winning Federal Contracts: A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs Course
• National Women's Business Council
• WomenBiz.gov

Contact

Questions or comments about doing business with the Department of Homeland Security as a Women-Owned Small Business? Contact Homeland Security's Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization .

http://www.dhs.gov/xopnbiz/smallbusiness/gc_1271885070734.shtm

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From CBS News

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Michael Brewer (Reenie Brewer/WFOR)

Michael Brewer, Boy Set on Fire, Tells Happy Back-to-School Story; Miraculous Recovery Continues FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (CBS) When Michael Brewer was doused with rubbing alcohol and set on fire, allegedly by three classmates at Deerfield Beach Middle School, his doctors said he would be lucky if he ever woke up from his medically induced coma - today, more than six months after the incident, Michael is waking up to a new reality, and going back to school. He won't be returning to the same school where he was attacked off campus in October 2009, and family members did not say what school he will be attending. But he told the Today Show that he is looking forward to it. "I can't wait. I kind of miss school," Michael told the morning program. Michael survived the October attack by jumping into a nearby swimming pool. But he suffered second and third-degree burns over two-thirds of his body. The three teenagers accused of participating in the attack have been charged as adults with second-degree attempted murder. Each faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. All pleaded not guilty.

Less than 5 months after the brutal attack on Michael, another classmate, Josie Lou Ratley, was allegedly attacked on the Deerfield Beach Middle School campus by the boyfriend of a classmate, who was enraged by a text message allegedly sent by Ratley.

Michael Brewer had some strong words for his former school.

"The school is terrible. I don't know why I went to the school," he told the Today Show.

As for Ratley, who is reportedly out of her medically induced coma and responding to her family- although still unable to talk- Michael sent his best wishes for as miraculous recovery as he has made.

"I hope to see her again and get stronger like I did every day...she can do it," Michael said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20002968-504083.html

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Why Didn't Anyone Warn Police Josie Lou Ratley Was Going to Be Severely Beaten?

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (CBS/AP) Why didn't anyone warn police that a boy was allegedly planning to brutally attack Josie Lou Ratley?

The suspect in the brutal beating of 15-year-old Josie Lou Ratley, ninth-grader Wayne Treacy, allegedly sent text messages telling his friends what he planned to do to the girl, but nobody warned the police.

Josie Lou Ratley even received text messages from Treacy claiming he was going to "snap" her neck at Deerfield Beach Middle School. Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti said several people knew about the threats but no one warned authorities.

Treacy is accused of punching Ratley and stomping on her with his steel-toed boots. He is being held in a juvenile detention center on a charge of premeditated attempted murder.

Ratley remains in critical condition and in a medically induced coma at a Florida hospital. Her family's attorney says doctors are optimistic after two surgeries to relieve pressure on her brain.

Treacy's 13-year-old girlfriend was also arrested as an accessory to the attack.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20001063-504083.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody

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Josie Lou Ratley (Rick Freedman/Family Attorney)

Josie Lou Ratley, Michael Brewer Attacks Spur Broward County Anti-Bullying Campaign FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (CBS) On the same day that Josie Lou Ratley's mother announced that Josie showed a marked improvement by breathing on her own, her school district announced a renewed effort to stop bullying. Broward County School District Superintendent Jim Notter announced Wednesday that the district has a new theme for students and parents to remember: "You have the power to make a difference - use it!" The saying is part of Broward Schools' "silence hurts" campaign that was started several years ago. PICTURES: Josie Lou Ratley, Steel-Toed Attack Victim PICTURES: Michael Brewer's Remarkable Recovery (WARNING: Some Graphic Content) Notter urged parents and students to report anything suspicious on a tip line, e-mail or text message, emphasizing that any report can be completely anonymous. The numbers and email address will be put up on posters that will be posted in all schools, facilities and sites.

15-year-old Wayne Treacy has been charged with first degree murder for allegedly savagely beating Josie at a bus stop March 17 after she reportedly sent him an insensitive text message about his brother who had recently committed suicide. Kayla Manson, who was a friend of Ratley, is accused of pointing out Ratley to Treacy knowing that he intended to hurt her.

Josie's mother, Hilda Gotay Ratley, told reporters Wednesday that her daughter is opening her eyes slightly and has squeezed her doctor's hand, however Gotay said that her daughter's doctors are unable to tell what kind of long-term damage her daughter may be facing.

Josie remains in a medically induced coma.

Treacy and Manson are being held at a juvenile detention center pending an April 19 hearing to determine if Treacy will be charged as an adult.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20002032-504083.html

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