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May 15, 2011

IMF chief held on suspicion of sexual assault on N.Y. hotel worker

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, is taken off a plane about to leave JFK, arrested and charged in the attack on a chambermaid in his luxury suite.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the International Monetary Fund, was hauled off a flight about to leave JFK airport for Paris on Saturday and arrested on allegations he sexually assaulted a maid in a Times Square-area hotel, a police spokesman said.

Strauss-Kahn, who is also an important figure in French politics, was taken to the Harlem headquarters of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit, which investigates rape and other sex crimes. He was charged with committing a criminal sexual act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment in connection with a sexual assault on a chambermaid in the luxury suite of a midtown Manhattan hotel, said Paul Browne, deputy New York City police commissioner.

"A 32-year-old chambermaid at a Sofitel on 44th Street said that at about 1 p.m., she entered Mr. Strauss-Kahn's room to clean when he came out of the bathroom naked, pushed her onto the bed and assaulted her," Browne said. The maid told police that before she could escape, Strauss-Kahn forced her to perform oral sex, Browne said.

She immediately told her supervisor, but before investigators could get to Strauss-Kahn's room, he had left the hotel, leaving behind his cellphone and other personal items, Browne said.

His $3,000-per-night luxury suite has a foyer, hallway, living room, bedroom, conference room and bathroom, Browne said.

Police learned the IMF official was booked on a 4:40 p.m. Air France flight bound for Paris and notified airport police to hold the plane, which was turned back as it taxied from the gate. Strauss-Kahn was in his seat when he was taken into custody, Browne said, noting he did not have diplomatic immunity.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-imf-leader-20110516,0,1898311.story

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In northeast India coal towns, many miners are children

Perhaps thousands of underage workers as young as 8, lured by the wages, leave school to work in coal mines under perilous conditions. The country officially upholds mining safety standards and forbids child labor, but loopholes in state laws allow widespread abuses.

The young miners descend on rickety ladders made of branches into the makeshift coal mines dotting the Jaintia Hills in northeast India, scrambling sideways into "rat hole" shafts so small that even kneeling becomes impossible. Lying horizontally, they hack away with picks and their bare hands: Human labor here is far cheaper than machines.

Many wear flip-flops and shorts, their faces and lungs blackened by coal. None have helmets. Two hours of grinding work fills a cart half the size of a coffin that they drag back, crouching, to the mouth where a clerk credits their work. Most earn a dollar or two an hour.

"A big stone fell on a friend at a nearby mine last year, and he died," said Sharan Rai, 16, taking a break near the entrance with his friend Late Boro, 14. Both started mining when they were 12. "The owners didn't pay the family anything. I try and check if the walls look strong before I go in."

Sharan may be leaving this hazardous work behind. He quit fourth grade years back, and an area civic group has persuaded him to return. Late, from Assam state, who's never attended school and is illiterate, is more typical.

"Let Sharan go off, play the big man," he said, fighting back tears. "I'll cut coal. That's my life."

Thousands of children, some as young as 8, are believed to toil alongside adults in the northeast mines; their small bodies are well suited to the narrow coal seams. Many migrated legally from from Nepal or illegally from neighboring Bangladesh, lured by the wages.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-india-child-coal-20110515,0,7305596,print.story

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In San Diego, not your typical police scandal

A cluster of misconduct allegations has the San Diego police chief fuming and officials scrambling for reform. But experts say these seem to be 'individual, unrelated acts' as opposed to a culture of corruption in the department.

Police Chief William Lansdowne was on his way to work Wednesday morning when he got a call that one of his officers had just been accused of kidnapping and raping a 34-year-old woman while on duty.

The timing of such a serious allegation could not have been worse: The day before, Lansdowne had held a news conference to publicly apologize for a recent spate of misconduct allegations against his officers and to announce a crackdown against rogues in the ranks.

By Wednesday afternoon, when a visibly angry Lansdowne held his second news conference in two days, the officer in the latest case had been charged with committing felonies under color of authority and was no longer with the department.

The ex-officer, Daniel Dana, 26, a former Marine and four-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he threatened to arrest the woman, a prostitute, unless she had sex with him.

The task of repairing the damage to the department's reputation in light of its recent troubles has only just begun, the chief said.

"It's going to take several years to win back the confidence of a large section of the community," said Lansdowne, who was hired in 2003 to lead the 1,800-officer department after serving as chief in the Northern California cities of San Jose and Richmond.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sandiego-police-20110515,0,1837441,print.story

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US Accuses Six of Aiding Pakistani Taliban

The United States has charged six people with helping to support and finance the Pakistani Taliban, a group the American government considers a terrorist organization.

The U.S. Justice Department said Saturday that three residents of the southern state of Florida, all naturalized American citizens of Pakistani descent, have been arrested and indicted by a grand jury, while three other people remain at large in Pakistan.

U.S. authorities allege that the six used an elaborate system of bank accounts and wire transfers to funnel $50,000 to Pakistan to support militants and their families and to buy weapons.

In addition, the U.S. said that one of the suspects, Hafiz Muhammed Sher Ali Khan, the 76-year-old imam at the Flagler Mosque in Miami, Florida, operated a madrassa, or Islamic school in Swat, Pakistan that housed militants and taught children how to kill Americans in Afghanistan.

All six suspects have been accused of conspiring to murder, maim and kidnap people overseas and provide financial assistance to the Pakistani Taliban, a group that opposes the Pakistani government and has claimed responsibility for attacks against U.S. interests.

The Pakistani Taliban said it was behind Friday's suicide bombings that killed at least 80 people at a Pakistani military training facility, an attack the group said was revenge for the U.S. killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden two weeks ago at his Pakistani hideout.

Aside from Khan, the U.S. filed charges against two of his sons, Izhar Khan, an imam at another Florida mosque, and Irfan Khan, all of whom live in the United States.

The three accused who reside in Pakistan include the elder Khan's daughter, Amina Khan, and her son, Alam Zeb. Ali Rehman is the third Pakistani named in the indictment. If convicted, all six face up to 15 years in prison.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/US-Accuses-Six-of-Aiding-Pakistani-Taliban-121832349.html

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Members of Miami Mosque React to Arrests

Members of the Miami Mosque, also known as the Flagler Mosque, reacted with dismay to the news of Hafiz Khan's arrest on Saturday morning.

"We were all really shocked," said Asad Ba-Yunus, spokesman for the Muslim Communities Association of South Florida, the parent organization of the Flagler Mosque. "This was something completely out of the blue for us."

Mr. Ba-Yunus said the mosque has suspended Mr. Khan indefinitely and has been in regular contact with the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI.

If the accusations against the imam are true, "we unconditionally condemn" his actions, said Mr. Ba-Yunus. But he emphasized that "these are the alleged acts of a few people and one family" and not representative of the broader Muslim community.

He added that Mr. Khan "did not conduct any of the alleged activity in the mosque itself," and if mosque leaders had known of it, "we would have alerted law enforcement ourselves."

Mr. Khan—a U.S. citizen originally from the northwest province of Pakistan—was a "very gentle 76-year-old man, like a typical grandfather," said Mr. Ba-Yunus. "Everybody respects him and treats him nicely because of his demeanor and because of his Islamic knowledge."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730804576324071441122848.html

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May 14, 2011

Shelves of forgotten souls

In Building 60 at Oregon State Hospital, thousands of copper canisters of cremated remains sat unclaimed, identified only by a number. In recent years, measures have been taken to reunite relatives with their lost loved ones.

The two copper canisters once shared the darkness of a decaying and abandoned room at Oregon State Hospital with about 3,500 others. Each etched with a distinct number, the containers held the unclaimed ashes of mental patients and others who had lived and died at the hospital and other state institutions.

No. 1864 held the remains of an 11-year-old boy committed as a "feeble-minded epileptic." He died in 1935.

No. 2664 contained the ashes of a grandfather committed for "senility." He died in 1941.

The dead remained together for decades in a forgotten isolation perhaps not uncommon to them in life. Then in 2004, state lawmakers and the public learned of the grim cache at the deteriorating hospital, now 128 years old.

Today, No. 1864 and No. 2664 are no longer with the group, the result of one man's efforts and a push by the hospital and lawmakers to reunite the remains with their families. As the man discovered, recovering these remains can unearth long-hidden memories and guilt, but also bring a measure of closure.

Officials now hope that the launch this year of an online database detailing the 3,476 canisters yet to be claimed will help other relatives reunite, or unite for the first time.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cremated-remains-20110514,0,4423214,print.story

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Pornography Is Found in Bin Laden Compound Files, U.S. Officials Say

WASHINGTON — The enormous cache of computer files taken from Osama bin Laden's compound contained a considerable quantity of pornographic videos, American officials said on Friday, adding a discordant note to the public image of the Islamist militant who long denounced the West for its lax sexual mores.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity about classified material, would not say whether there was evidence that Bin Laden or the other men living in the house had acquired or viewed the material.

The discovery of the pornography, first reported by Reuters, may not be surprising in a collection of five computers, 10 hard drives and dozens of thumb drives and CDs whose age and past ownership is not known.

But the disclosure could fuel accusations of hypocrisy against the founder of Al Qaeda, who was 54 and lived with three wives at the time of his death, and will be welcomed by counterterrorism officials because it could tarnish his legacy and erode the appeal of his brand of religious extremism.

In a 2002 “letter to the American people,” Bin Laden denounced American culture for its exploitation of women's bodies in dress, advertising and popular culture.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/world/asia/14binladen.html?ref=world&pagewanted=print

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Cities Nationwide Heighten Vigilance on Terror

MIAMI — In large and midsize cities across the country, police chiefs and domestic security officials say they have drastically increased counterterrorism operations under the assumption that a “lone wolf” or a small group of terrorists will try to strike on American soil to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Although there are no known specific or credible threats, many of the officials said they are convinced that operatives of Al Qaeda or sympathizers will be highly motivated in the weeks and months before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, according to interviews with more than a dozen police chiefs and senior counterterrorism officials.

The officials said they were especially concerned that a terrorist plot would focus on a target perceived to be “soft,” like a train station or a shopping mall.

“In the short term, we are facing more danger from lone wolf actors who will see Bin Laden's death as justification in their minds to mobilize and do something here,” said Deputy Chief Michael Downing, head of the Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau in the Los Angeles Police Department.

In the past dozen days, several senior police officials said they had not seen so much frenetic counterterrorism action since the weeks after Sept. 11, 2001. The activities have included numerous briefings with F.B.I. and Homeland Security officials in Washington, as well as conference calls with joint terrorism task force members and local officials, some as often as twice a day.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/us/14georgia.html?ref=us&pagewanted=print

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NY beach community becomes dumping ground of death

CAPTREE STATE PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Killers have long chosen isolated locations to secretly dump their victims: Gary Ridgway got the Green River Killer moniker for leaving women he murdered along the waterway near Seattle, some of New York serial killer Joel Rifkin's 17 victims were found in shallow graves on eastern Long Island or in creeks in Brooklyn, and in 2008 the FBI found the body of a slain mobster buried in a Long Island industrial park.

Authorities on Long Island suspect a serial killer may be responsible for the deaths of four prostitutes found in December dumped just steps from an isolated beach highway, but news this week that other killers have used the same strip of Ocean Parkway near Jones Beach as a dumping ground of death ratcheted up an already intense investigation.

"It is clear that the area in and around Gilgo Beach has been used to discard human remains for some period of time," Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said.

Spota released additional clues this week about four other victims, including two women whose torsos were left years ago 45 miles away in the woods off the Long Island Expressway. Their heads and limbs were found near the beach this spring. An unknown man and a toddler are among the latest Ocean Parkway murder mysteries confronting detectives.

And that's not all: Remains found at two locations along the same highway in neighboring Nassau County have yet to be identified. Ten sets of remains, and an unknown number of killers.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gtRlGugMwfX1N-PFa9FowUNepKRA?docId=a58d1da7b323436d94c4376dee7c2100

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Emergency Alerts Delivered to Your Phone: What Our New PLAN Means to You

• The messages incorporate broadcast delivery technology and will not be impacted by cellular network congestion – a fancy way of saying the alerts will get through even if cellular networks are swamped. As we all know, traditional text messages and telephone calls get stuck during heavy cell traffic, so these critical and potentially life-saving alerts will always get through.
  
  
• The messages are location based and will provide alerts to you about threats where you are currently located. For example, if you are visiting New York City, you will receive the same alerts as people who live in New York City. And let's say you moved to Los Angeles but didn't change your cell phone number, you would still receive the alerts because you're in the warning area.
  
  
• And as far as cost, the service comes at no expense to the emergency managers who send the messages.

http://blog.fema.gov/2011/05/emergency-alerts-delivered-to-your.html

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ICE recognizes local law enforcement efforts in child kidnap case

EVERETT, Mass. - In the city of Everett, the police department proudly displays a motto which reads, "Serving with Pride Since 1870." U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) shared that pride today while recognizing two officers for their proud service and dedicated professionalism that helped end a nationwide search for a three-year-old girl who was discovered living in Everett after being abducted in Texas last year.

Everett Police Lieutenant Demetri O'Malley and Officer Jeffrey Gilmore were recognized for launching an investigation in July 2010 with ICE HSI in Boston, the Bryan Police Department in Texas, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Acting on an anonymous tip from a concerned citizen, the officers and ICE HSI special agents began the search for a man who allegedly boasted about how he abducted his two-year-old daughter from Texas in December 2009. Working with authorities in Bryan, Texas, investigators identified the father and determined that the child had been reported missing to the NCMEC. The investigation led authorities to an address in Everett, where the father was arrested and the child recovered unharmed.

"On behalf of the citizens of Everett, I am pleased to officially recognize and publicly thank these officers for their intervention in this case," said Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie."I would also like to acknowledge their relentless efforts that resulted in the safe return of this child to Texas."

http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1105/110513everett.htm

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May 13, 2011

Justice in the DNA

Capitalizing on familial searching to help identify criminals through DNA raises no more moral and privacy questions than the use of fingerprint information.

Civil libertarians have a natural — and healthy — impulse to question scientific advancements in crime control. But concerns about so-called familial searching are exaggerated.

As The Times reported recently, California is a leader in making use of familial searching: the tracing of a criminal suspect through a relative's DNA. The best-known example of its use was the apprehension of Lonnie David Franklin Jr., the alleged "Grim Sleeper" serial killer. Franklin was identified because DNA he left at a crime scene partially matched that of his son, a convicted criminal whose DNA was stored in a state database.

Was it unfair to capitalize on the fact that the son's DNA happened to be in the database? Despite the obvious advantages, some civil libertarians are wary of the technique. One objection is that familial searches put an entire family under scrutiny, including innocent relatives. But that is no different from police questioning all the occupants of a house where a crime has been committed. Another concern is that DNA databases contain a disproportionate number of racial minorities. That's a real problem — as is the disproportionate number of minorities in prison populations generally — but denying the police useful evidence in specific cases is no remedy for that broader problem. Finally, some argue that familial searching might put people whose DNA partially matches that found at a crime in the position of being pressured by police to incriminate a relative. That's true, but relatives have never been off-limits to a police investigation.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-dna-20110513,0,1099293,print.story

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Suspects in Terror Case Wanted to Kill Jews, Officials Say

The 26-year-old man from Queens had discussed growing a beard and the side curls of a Hasidic Jew, the police commissioner said, a disguise that he apparently hoped would enable him to attack a synagogue in Manhattan “and take out the whole entire building.”

His ambitions did not end there. The man, a native of Algeria, also expressed an interest in blowing up the Empire State Building, the commissioner said.

He was not a member of a terrorist group like Al Qaeda, the commissioner said. Indeed, his father said, he once sold cosmetics at Saks Fifth Avenue and was now trying to be a fashion model.

Yet driven by a hatred of Jews and a belief that Muslims are mistreated the world over, the man, Ahmed Ferhani, began piecing together a plan to commit terrorism, the authorities said on Thursday, leading to his arrest after he and an accomplice bought weapons in a police undercover operation.

Mr. Ferhani, along with a 20-year-old naturalized United States citizen from Morocco, were charged on Thursday in a terrorism case that is remarkable not only for the would-be model-actor the authorities have identified as its central player, but also for the unusual way the case was brought.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/nyregion/two-men-arrested-in-new-york-terror-case-police-say.html?_r=1&hp

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In Alabama, Storms Leave a Scramble for Housing

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In the tornado-torn rural stretches and cities of the South, the scope and size of a newly homeless population are beginning to sink in.

There are as yet no solid estimates of the number of people who need places to live, although it surely will be more than 10,000, federal and state emergency officials say. And many of them are poor, working class or elderly — those most at risk of becoming permanently homeless.

“It's that middle group that was fragile, perhaps living paycheck to paycheck, who have now lost their homes and their jobs,” said Kim Burgo, vice president for disaster operations for Catholic Charities USA, which is working to feed and shelter victims.

Of particular concern are older people in the rural communities, where a third of the population is 65 or older and resources are slim.

“These are folks who have put their whole heart and soul into their homes,” Ms. Burgo said. “They may or may not have insurance. What do they do? They might be living with their son or daughter now, but how long is that going to last?”

In Tuscaloosa, the largest urban area hit, the battle looks a little different. It is a scramble for apartments that do not exist and a wait for checks from the government. And everywhere, it is a growing test of patience.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/us/13homeless.html?ref=us&pagewanted=print

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Domesticity and Radicalism Clash in a Neo-Nazi Home

Jesse McKinley spent two months looking into the activities of the Southern California chapter of the National Socialist Movement, the nation's largest neo-Nazi group, and the chapter's leader, Jeff Hall. On May 1, midway through his reporting on the project, Mr. McKinley received word that Mr. Hall's 10-year-old son had been charged with murdering him with a handgun as he lay on the living room sofa, just a day after Mr. McKinley had spent much of the afternoon at the family home for a meeting of the group. His subsequent article on Mr. Hall and the murder, and the unusual circumstances of the case, have aroused so much reader interest that Mr. McKinley was asked to describe his impressions of Mr. Hall, his family and his world.

The first time I met Jeff Hall, I felt surrounded.

The occasion was a rally in Claremont, Calif., and I had come to Mr. Hall's house, the headquarters of the Southern California chapter of the National Socialist Movement, to rendezvous before the event. I stepped out of a rental car and into a crowd of about two dozen followers of Mr. Hall, the chapter's leader, milling about in front of his suburban home in Riverside, Calif.

There was wariness on both sides, of course; I was a reporter, and much of the N.S.M.'s press coverage — not surprisingly — has been unflattering. At one point, a member pointedly asked about my ethnic background, but was appeased when I mentioned that my grandmother was of German stock. And the appearance of the movement's members can be just as intimidating: Long derided as “Hollywood Nazis” for their fondness for old-school Nazi regalia, the group had in recent years adopted a more modern look: black jackets, pants and boots.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/us/13hall.html?ref=us&pagewanted=print

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In Debt, Far From Home and Claiming Servitude

HOUSTON — The television advertisements the welder saw in Hanoi were alluring, almost too good to be true. A company partly owned by the government was offering jobs in the United States that paid $15 an hour, plus overtime, far more than the man, Chin Ba Ngo, could make in Vietnam.

When he met with agents for the company, they asked for a $10,000 fee to put him in touch with an American company seeking laborers. He mortgaged his house and borrowed heavily from family members to come up with the money.

The fee was the start of a two-year ordeal that has left Mr. Ngo broke and living in exile in Houston. He is one of 50 Vietnamese welders who contend in lawsuits that they were treated like indentured servants in the United States.

A state lawsuit resulted in a $60 million out-of-court settlement against two American companies, but now a federal suit has been filed charging the Vietnamese companies that recruited the welders with taking part in a human trafficking scheme.

Through it all, the workers have contended — and the companies have denied — that they were brought here under false pretenses, treated poorly in near isolation and then cast out abruptly long before they expected to finish the work that would have helped them repay their debts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/us/13welders.html?ref=us&pagewanted=print

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The President on TOP COPS: "It Wasn't Talk; It Was What They Did"

It was a beautiful day in the Rose Garden to honor the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) TOP COPS. The Vice President spoke first, reiterating the commitment that he and the President have to supporting America's law enforcement, from giving states the funding they need to keep them on the job, to better communication resources, to supporting their rights as workers. The President spoke to that commitment as well , and also commended the outstanding officers who had earned this year's title of "Top Cops":

This is the third year I've had the honor of welcoming America's Top Cops to the White House. It's kind of like the Heisman Trophy presentation for law enforcement. But I just spent a little time with these men and women inside, and I can tell you with certainty, they carry themselves with such humility. They don't say to themselves “This is it –- this year I made Top Cop.” “I'm going to train, put in long hours, and go to Washington and stand with the President.” That's not why they do what they do every single day.

None of them put together a PR package for our consideration. Some of them are still recovering from gunshot wounds suffered in the line of duty. Some have heavy hearts for partners who've been lost, and they commit themselves to their memory. And all would put forward others in their units who they would say are just as brave, or just as dedicated, or just as capable, or just as deserving of this recognition.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/12/president-top-cops-it-wasn-t-talk-it-was-what-they-did

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May 12, 2011

Demjanjuk convicted, gets 5 years in prison

The Ohio man, 91, faced 28,060 counts of accessory to murder, one for each death at the Sobibor camp in Poland while he allegedly was a guard.

Retired Ohio autoworker John Demjanjuk was convicted of thousands of counts of acting as an accessory to murder at a Nazi death camp and sentenced Thursday to five years in prison -- closing one chapter in a decades-long legal battle.

It was not immediately clear how much credit the 91-year-old native of Ukraine he would get for time served.

Demjanjuk was charged with 28,060 counts of being an accessory to murder, one for each person who died during the time he was accused of being a guard at the Sobibor camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. There was no evidence he committed a specific crime. The prosecution was based on the theory that if Demjanjuk was at the camp, he was a participant in the killing -- the first time such a legal argument has been made in German courts.

Demjanjuk sat in a wheelchair in front of the judges as they announced their verdict, but showed no reaction. Earlier Thursday, he had declined the opportunity to make a final statement to the court.

"The court is convinced that the defendant … served as a guard at Sobibor from 27 March 1943 to mid-September 1943," presiding Judge Ralph Alt said as he announced the verdict.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-demjanjuk-20110513,0,6707789.story

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Osama bin Laden's journal contains his thoughts on killing Americans

In one passage, he wonders how many Americans would have to die on U.S. soil to force the government to withdraw from the Arab world, and concludes that it would require another mass murder on the scale of Sept. 11, an official says.

Osama bin Laden kept a personal journal in which he contemplated how to kill as many Americans as possible, including in terrorist attacks against Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, according to U.S. officials.

The handwritten journal was part of a vast cache of digital and printed material hauled away from Bin Laden's hide-out after U.S. Navy SEALs killed him last week in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

One official said Wednesday that the trove provided "terabytes" of new information about Al Qaeda.

The official described the journal as full of planning ideas and outlines of potential operations — "aspirational guidance" on how to kill the maximum number of people rather than specific proposals or plots that were actually underway.

In one passage, Bin Laden wondered how many Americans would have to die in U.S. cities to force the U.S. government to withdraw from the Arab world. He concluded that it would require another mass murder on the scale of the Sept. 11 attacks to spur a reversal in U.S. policy, an official said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-bin-laden-intel-20110512,0,6823870,print.story

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Citizen children and life under the radar

In the U.S. are 4.5 million citizens whose parents are illegal immigrants. Often these fearful parents keep their children from programs and opportunities that would improve their development.

President Obama spoke Tuesday about the economic reasons for providing a pathway to citizenship for the nation's undocumented. This is clearly a polarizing issue, and there is much room for honest disagreement. But there's one fact we can't ignore: Undocumented immigrants in the U.S. include the parents of 4.5 million children who are legal citizens. What that means is that, on average, one or two children in every elementary school classroom in the country is coping with huge uncertainty about future family stability.

As the president noted in his speech, border enforcement is now stronger; the number of people illegally entering the U.S. is declining. But these millions of citizen children are here and will remain. It is in the interest of all of us to ensure that these children grow up to become productive citizens.

I recently published a study that followed hundreds of young children in immigrant families in order to examine how parents' undocumented status affects their children's development. Our findings are sobering.

Living under the radar creates enormous stress and necessitates terrible choices for these families. Many choose to keep their citizen children from taking advantage of programs and opportunities that would improve their development because parents fear that putting in applications could increase their risk of being deported and their families' risk of being ripped apart. This means that the children of undocumented immigrants are less likely to receive the kind of high-quality, center-based child care that research has shown to improve early development. The results are lower cognitive and language skills that can be seen as early as 24 months.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-yoshikawa-immigration-20110512,0,815266,print.story

The Dogs of War: Beloved Comrades in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — Marines were on a foot patrol last fall in the Taliban stronghold of Marja, Afghanistan, when they shot and killed a lethal threat: a local dog that made the mistake of attacking the Marines' Labrador retriever.

Capt. Manuel Zepeda, the commander of Company F, Second Battalion, Sixth Marines, was unapologetic. If the Lab on the patrol had been hurt, the Marines would have lost their best weapon for detecting roadside bombs — and would have called for a medevac helicopter, just as they would for a human. An attack on the Lab was an attack on a fellow warrior.

As Captain Zepeda put it that day, “We consider the dog another Marine.”

The classified canine that went on the Navy Seals' raid of Osama bin Laden's compound last week has generated a wave of interest in military dogs, which have been used by the United States since at least World War I. Now, more valued than ever, they are on their own surge into Afghanistan.

American troops may be starting to come home this summer, but more dogs are going in. In 2007, the Marines began a pilot program in Afghanistan with nine bomb-sniffing dogs, a number that has grown to 350 and is expected to reach nearly 650 by the end of the year. Over all, there are some 2,700 dogs on active duty in the American military. A decade ago, before the Sept. 11 attacks, there were 1,800.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/world/middleeast/12dog.html?_r=1&hp

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Two Men Are Arrested in Terror Case

Two men who the authorities said intended to carry out a terrorist attack in New York City were arrested late Wednesday, two law enforcement officials said with knowledge of the matter.

The two men had sought to purchase hand grenades and guns. They were arrested after what one law enforcement official described as a sting operation, saying that their aims appeared “aspirational.” The identities of the men were not released but another official characterized the suspects as “homegrown” and another said one of the young men was of Moroccan descent.

The case was being prosecuted by the Manhattan district attorney's office, and law enforcement officials said the men were expected to be charged under New York State's terrorism law.

Major terrorism cases are generally investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by the United States attorney's office in federal court. But in this case, a law enforcement official said, one official had told the F.B.I. it was not a terrorism case.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/nyregion/two-men-arrested-in-new-york-terror-case-police-say.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

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A Rite of Torture for Girls

People usually torture those whom they fear or despise. But one of the most common forms of torture in the modern world, incomparably more widespread than waterboarding or electric shocks, is inflicted by mothers on daughters they love.

It's female genital mutilation — sometimes called female circumcision — and it is prevalent across a broad swath of Africa and chunks of Asia as well. Mothers take their daughters at about age 10 to cutters like Maryan Hirsi Ibrahim, a middle-aged Somali woman who says she wields her razor blade on up to a dozen girls a day.

“This tradition is for keeping our girls chaste, for lowering the sex drive of our daughters,” Ms. Ibrahim told me. “This is our culture.”

Ms. Ibrahim prefers the most extreme form of genital mutilation, called infibulation or Pharaonic circumcision. And let's not be dainty or euphemistic. This is a grotesque human rights abuse that doesn't get much attention because it involves private parts and is awkward to talk about. So pardon the bluntness about what infibulation entails.

The girls' genitals are carved out, including the clitoris and labia, often with no anesthetic. What's left of the flesh is sewn together with three to six stitches — wild thorns in rural areas, or needle and thread in the cities. The cutter leaves a tiny opening to permit urination and menstruation. Then the girls' legs are tied together, and she is kept immobile for 10 days until the flesh fuses together.

When the girl is married and ready for sex, she must be cut open by her husband or by a respected woman in the community.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/opinion/12kristof.html?ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

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May 11, 2011

Human Rights Watch urges Bangladesh to end killings by elite force

The Rapid Action Battalion is accused of using torture and extrajudicial executions in its crime fighting operations. The nation's home minister says the group shoots only in self-defense.

A human rights group urged Bangladesh on Tuesday to end torture, extrajudicial killings and related abuses by an elite anticrime force that the organization said had killed nearly 200 people since January 2009, including many allegedly executed while in the unit's custody.

Human Rights Watch further called on the Asian nation to disband the Rapid Action Battalion if its record doesn't improve.

Brad Adams, the group's Asia director, said he doesn't have an exact figure for the number of the reported deaths involved extrajudicial killings since the government of Prime Minister Sheik Hasina Wajed came to power 28 months ago, in part because Human Rights Watch didn't investigate every case.

But the number of "crossfire" deaths, a blanket term the unit uses to justify many of its killings, was significant, Adams said in a telephone interview from Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital.

Bangladeshi Home Minister Shahara Khatun, who oversees the battalion, also known as RAB, criticized the rights group's conclusions.

"RAB personnel only retaliate in self-defense," Khatun said, according to the Bangladeshi online newspaper BDNews24.com. "RAB do not kill anyone, but shoot only when criminals do."

Human Rights Watch says in its 53-page report released Tuesday that the ruling Awami League strongly criticized the rapid-action force when it was in opposition, only to defend its deadly record once the party came to power.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-bangladesh-killings-20110511,0,1352202,print.story

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San Diego police chief announces strategy to reduce officer misconduct

Embarrassed by a recent spate of misconduct allegations against his officers, the San Diego police chief Tuesday publicly apologized and announced a series of reforms meant to "greatly reduce future incidents."

"I want to personally apologize to every citizen of San Diego," Police Chief William Lansdowne said at a news conference in front of police headquarters, backed by his command staff and members of the police officers' labor union.

Lansdowne announced that additional personnel will be added to the internal affairs unit that investigates allegations against officers.

Also, a confidential hot line is being established that will be monitored by Lansdowne and a review of the department's use-of-force tactics is underway. Supervisors will be given additional "early intervention" training in how to spot troublesome behavior among officers.

The announcement comes days after a veteran officer was booked into jail for felony drunk driving in an off-duty incident.

There have been nine misconduct cases in recent months involving allegations of excessive force, stalking an ex-girlfriend, burglary, drunk driving, rape, domestic violence and demanding sexual favors from female motorists. Most involved off-duty conduct. One officer has been fired, another forced to resign.

Lansdowne, 67, was named San Diego police chief in 2003 after serving as chief in San Jose and Richmond in Northern California. The San Diego department has 2,100 sworn officers.

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

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Bail denied to man who tried to force his way into cockpit of American Airlines flight

A federal judge denied bail Tuesday to a Yemen native who tried to force his way into the cockpit of an American Airlines flight en route from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to San Francisco International Airport.

Shortly before the end of the Sunday night flight, Rageh Ahmed Mohammed Al-Murisi left his seat near the back of the plane and made his way to the first-class cabin, according to an affidavit filed by Paul A. Howard, a federal air marshal.

A flight attendant saw him trying to open the cockpit door and, thinking he had mistaken it for the restroom, tried to point Al-Murisi in the right direction. At that point, Howard said, Al-Murisi lowered his left shoulder and rammed the cockpit door.

In court on Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Atty. Elise Becker said Al-Murisi was shouting “Allahu Akbar” –- “God is great” in Arabic –- as he was wrestled to the ground. It was the same phrase, she said, that the assailants who hijacked Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, shouted.

Al-Murisi, who has been charged with interfering with a flight crew, had no luggage, was traveling with various forms of identification, $47 and an Apple computer charger. Becker argued Tuesday that he was a threat to the community and a flight risk.

A federal law enforcement source said that Al-Murisi is not tied to any terrorist groups and that there is no terrorism allegation involved. Judge James Larson denied bail. Al-Murisi is scheduled to be back in court on Friday.

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

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Former gang members: A life sentence of joblessness

It's everyone's business to give former gang members a chance to prove themselves through work.

Lorenzo had a hard time concealing his nervousness. Standing in front of a large room packed with Boeing employees in late March, the tall, lanky African American gang member described the arc of his life. At 22, he had spent nearly a third of his life incarcerated.

Peering out of his round, black-rimmed glasses, he talked about his seven months at Homeboy Industries (the largest gang reentry program in the country), and about how he had moved quickly from the janitorial team to become an assistant in the accounting department. "I used to steal money," he said. "Now I'm counting it."

I had the honor of witnessing Lorenzo's seven-month journey from convict to accounting assistant, watching as he became the young man God had in mind when he made him. But despite his remarkable turnaround and the many things he had to offer an employer, Lorenzo's prospects for finding a job outside our program were dim.

Opportunities for second chances are few for people like Lorenzo. Homeboy Industries is about the only game in town. Most employers just aren't willing to look beyond the dumbest or worst thing someone has done.

Another "homie" recently came to me for help after, for the third time, he was let go from a job because his employer had discovered he'd done five years in prison. He told me the boss said, "You're one of our best workers, but we have to let you go." Then, with a desperate sadness, the young man added: "Damn, G. No one told me I'd be getting a life sentence of no work."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-boyle-jobs-20110511,0,5778876,print.story

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Natalee Holloway's mom: She's dead

Beth Holloway came to realization after Stephany Flores' murder in Peru; Also, details on meeting van der Sloot in prison

Nearly six years ago, Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway disappeared in Aruba.

Her mother, Beth Holloway, has been relentless in her pursuit of the truth in her daughter's case, which is still unsolved.

But on "The Early Show" Tuesday, when speaking about her new Lifetime TV series, Beth Holloway admitted she doesn't think her daughter is alive today.

She said she reached the realization after learning of the death of 21-year-old Stephany Flores, allegedly at the hands of Joran van der Sloot in Peru.

She said, "(When) I discovered ferocity in which he murdered Stephany Flores. That put it in perspective for me as to what transpired with Natalee."

Van der Sloot has been charged with Flores' murder and is a "person of interest" in Natalee Holloway's disappearance. Van der Sloot has been in a prison in Lima, Peru, since June 2010, pending trial. Van der Sloot admitted details of Flores' murder to a Peruvian newspaper last year, saying he hit Flores repeatedly after she looked at his laptop. He has, in recent years, admitted to involvement in Natalee Holloway's death and then recanted his accounts.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/10/earlyshow/living/parenting/main20061398.shtml

Tips on Avoiding Fraudulent Charitable Contribution Schemes

In response to the recent tornadoes that affected several Southern states and caused loss of life and flooding that has damaged property, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and National Center for Disaster Fraud remind the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Unfortunately, criminals can exploit these tragedies for their own gain by sending fraudulent e-mails and creating phony websites designed to solicit contributions. The FBI has already received complaints alleging fraudulent schemes.

Tips should be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud, (866) 720-5721 . The line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, e-mails can be sent to disaster@leo.gov, and information can be faxed to (225) 334-4707 .

The National Center for Disaster Fraud was created by the Department of Justice to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. Its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 20 federal agencies, including the FBI, participate in the National Center for Disaster Fraud, which allows the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to disaster relief fraud.

The FBI reminds the public to perform due diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to provide assistance to those affected by the tornadoes. Solicitations can originate from e-mails, websites, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings, telephone calls, and other similar methods.

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May 10, 2011

Mexico's president offers to meet with anti-violence movement

President Felipe Calderon says he would like to try to bridge the gap with organizers of the March for Peace, which drew tens of thousands of Mexicans to the streets to demand a new strategy in the drug war.

A day after tens of thousands of Mexicans joined in anti-violence protests, President Felipe Calderon offered Monday to meet with organizers to explain a government drug war that has produced growing worry as deaths climb.

In televised comments, Calderon said talks could help bridge the gap between his administration and leaders of Sunday's March for Peace, which drew crowds of violence-weary people to the streets to appeal for a new crime strategy.

Calderon offered no sign of backing away from his administration's military-led crackdown against drug cartels. The conservative president, under fire amid widespread carnage, has insisted that yielding to the country's violent drug traffickers is not an option.

"We can agree or disagree," Calderon said. "Of course that doesn't exclude the possibility and the responsibility to dialogue, to listen to each other and understand each other."

Many Calderon critics hoped the Mexico City protest might mark a turning point in the 4-1/2-year-old drug war, which has killed more than 34,000 people since the president deployed troops to tackle crime groups. Most victims have died in fights between rival gangs over control of lucrative drug-smuggling routes to the United States.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-violence-20110510,0,1498254,print.story

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Riverside County's homeless numbers up dramatically, new tally shows

The number of people in Riverside County who are homeless on any given day has increased an estimated 84% in the last two years, officials said Monday.

A countywide tally Jan. 24 found 6,203 people living in emergency shelters, transitional housing or places not fit for human habitation, such as sidewalks, cars and abandoned buildings. The last count in 2009 put the figure at 3,366.

The increase in the county's chronically homeless population was even more significant: from 969 people in 2009 to 2,515 in 2011, a 160% jump. The county defines chronically homeless as people with a disabling condition who have been without a roof over their heads for a year or longer, or who have experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in the last three years.

Ronald A. Stewart, interim deputy director of the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, attributed the increases in part to the economic downturn, which he said began to be felt in 2009.

“Record unemployment and housing foreclosures made Riverside County one of the hardest-hit areas in the state and nation,” Stewart said in a statement. “This year's count clearly indicates the economic downturn has pushed more people out of their homes and has left them homeless longer.”

The county also made changes this year to its census methodology, which made for a more complete count, Stewart said in an interview. They included sending a homeless person out with every team that conducted the count, to help find the places where people sleep.

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

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Gunfight in Mexico Leaves 13 Dead

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican marines patrolling a lake along the border with Texas discovered a drug gang's island camp, provoking a gun battle that left 13 people dead, the Mexican Navy said Monday.

And in a different northern state, investigators reported finding 11 decapitated bodies.

In the gunfight, which took place on Sunday, one marine and 12 men suspected of being members of the Zetas drug cartel were killed on Falcon Lake in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, the navy said in a statement.

The navy said the gunmen opened fire when the marines discovered the camp, which the gang is believed to have used as a launching point for smuggling marijuana into Texas by speedboat.

The decapitated bodies of 11 men were found Monday in two places in Durango, the state attorney general's office said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/world/americas/10mexico.html?_r=1&ref=world&pagewanted=print

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Emergency Alert System Expected for Cellphones

WASHINGTON — The emergency broadcast system is coming to cellphones.

Updating the national emergency alert system, federal officials planned to announce on Tuesday in Manhattan that some cellphone users in New York and Washington will soon be able to receive alerts by text message in the event of a national or regional emergency.

The service in those cities is scheduled to start late this year as a prelude to nationwide service next year, perhaps as early as April. To receive the alerts, users must have mobile phones with a special chip, which is currently included in some higher-end smartphones like the latest iPhones. The service will also require a software upgrade.

How quickly consumers are able to participate in the system depends on the rate of replacement of cellphones with the special chip and the software, officials said.

The emergency text messages will include alerts issued by the president, information about public safety threats and Amber Alerts for missing children. Text messages will be sent to customers of participating cellphone companies who are in an area affected by the emergency. Users can opt out of any of the alerts except the presidential messages.

The alerts are designed to mimic the familiar radio and TV broadcast alerts that for decades — accompanied by a shrill whistle and, in most instances, the message “This is only a test” — have advised Americans where to tune in for an emergency message.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/us/10safety.html?ref=us&pagewanted=print

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Police Dept. In Newark Is Facing U.S. Inquiry

NEWARK — The Justice Department is investigating claims that brutality, baseless searches, intimidation and false arrests are commonplace in the Newark Police Department, officials announced on Monday.

The reported abuses closely parallel those alleged last September by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey , which called for a federal inquiry — a request that officials said helped prompt the investigation.

Federal officials took pains to describe the inquiry as a cooperative effort with the city, not a punitive one, and Mayor Cory A. Booker and his top police officials stood shoulder to shoulder at the announcement with Paul J. Fishman, the United States attorney for New Jersey, and Thomas E. Perez, who heads the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

After the civil liberties union's report was released, Mr. Booker and Garry F. McCarthy, the city's police director, called its accusations exaggerated and said no outside inquiry or oversight was needed.

But on Monday, Mr. Booker seemed to take credit for the investigation, saying repeatedly that his administration had requested it, with the message, “Please come in, we encourage you, we're asking you, we're welcoming you.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/nyregion/justice-department-investigates-newark-police.html?ref=us&pagewanted=print

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More LI remains identified; DA says multiple killers

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (WABC) -- There is a major twist in the investigation of the bodies found on Long Island's south shore. Authorities now say there could be at least three killers. The shocking news came out Monday afternoon.

Suffolk County District Attorney Tom Spota announced that the human remains discovered along Ocean Parkway beaches are from eight victims, which are being divided into separate cases.

The dismembered remains of two more women have been found since police began scouring the brambles along Gilgo Beach in April.

One has now been identified as 20-year-old prostitute Jessica Taylor. Most of her body was found in Manorville in 2003. Remains of the other woman were also found in Manorville in 2000.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/long_island&id=8122129&pt=print

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Supporting Military Families and Let's Move!

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama announced new collaborations to support our military families and ensure that everyone can get out and get moving. Starting June 1, service members and their families will be able to visit the websites of the organizations to sign up for free sportsclub memberships and personal training.

The International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), an organization whose membership consists of sportsclubs throughout the nation, will work with its members to offer free memberships to immediate family members (ages 13 and older, where applicable) of actively deployed reservists and National Guard members.

They may also provide additional benefits such as childcare, children's programming, group classes, discounts for veterans, and discounts for active duty families. (The website will also offer a free digital subscription to Get Active! Magazine , a publication dedicated to promoting healthy living through exercise.)

And the American Council on Exercise® (ACE®), an organization that works to certify and support fitness professionals, is committing to a goal of providing at least 1 million hours of personal training and fitness instruction to family members of actively deployed reservists and National Guard members.

Such collaborations are important steps forward in making sure that military families have the support they need to stay active and healthy. The goal of Let's Move! is to solve the problem of the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation, and this announcement will help move one step closer to that goal through outreach to military communities across the country.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/09/supporting-military-families-and-let-s-move

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Illinois Man Admits Plotting to Bomb Federal Courthouse and Is Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison

WASHINGTON – Michael C. Finton, aka “Talib Islam,” pleaded guilty today to attempting to bomb the federal courthouse in Springfield, Ill., in September 2009 and was immediately sentenced to serve 28 years in prison, announced Todd Hinnen, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, U.S. Attorney James A. Lewis of the Central District of Illinois, and Armando Fernandez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Springfield Division.

At a hearing today in East St. Louis, Ill., Finton, 31, a U.S. citizen and resident of Decatur, Ill., appeared before U.S. District Judge David R. Herndon and entered a plea of guilty to one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction (an explosive bomb) against property owned by the United States. Judge Herndon sentenced Finton to 336 months in prison in accordance with the terms of his plea agreement with the government.

“Michael Finton is one of a number of young Americans over the past two years who, under the influence of a radical and violent ideology, have sought to carry out acts of terrorism in the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Hinnen. “Although a coordinated undercover law enforcement investigation thwarted Mr. Finton's plot to destroy the federal courthouse in Springfield, this case underscores the need to remain vigilant against the threat posed by homegrown extremism.”

“Michael Finton tried to bomb our federal courthouse with the intent to kill innocent civilians, committed public servants and dedicated first responders,” said U.S. Attorney Lewis. “This terrible attempt was prevented through the excellent investigative work of the Springfield FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and assisting law enforcement agencies.”

“The investigation of Michael Finton is a significant accomplishment in the FBI's mission to protect the United States from terrorist attack. The dedication and professionalism of the Springfield Joint Terrorism Task Force and the U.S. Attorney's Office in this case have made America safer,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Fernandez.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/May/11-nsd-590.html

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Behavioral Interview Program

Attempting to Understand Violent Offenders

The inmate's wrist and leg shackles were removed and he was led into a small conference room to meet two special agents from our Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). The agents were there to conduct an interview into every aspect of the inmate's life—from his earliest childhood experiences to the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of a preteen girl that sent him to prison for life without the possibility of parole.

Such interviews are part of an ongoing BAU program to understand the minds of violent offenders. The offender interview program is in keeping with BAU's overall mission to provide behavioral-based support to federal, state, local, and international law enforcement agencies investigating time-sensitive crimes such as kidnappings and other violent offenses.

“We are never going to get the full and complete truth from offenders,” said one of the agents who conducted the interview. “But we gather all the information, the truth and the lies, and we learn from both.”

The insights from these consensual interviews are used for research and training, and they also have the potential to help investigators in the field. “The next time BAU responds to a child kidnapping case and a young person's life is at stake,” the agent explained, “we can say, ‘we sat across from a guy who did something similar, and here's what he told us.' ”

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/may/bau_050911/bau_050911

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May 9, 2011

In Mexico City, crowds protest drug violence

Tens of thousands descend on downtown with placards saying 'No more blood!' and 'We're fed up!' More than 34,000 have died since President Felipe Calderon began cracking down on cartels.

Bearing white balloons and fake bloodstains, tens of thousands of demonstrators crowded Mexico City's historic downtown Sunday to call for an end to the country's unrelenting drug violence.

The primary target of the protest was President Felipe Calderon, who has ruled during a period of extraordinary bloodshed. More than 34,000 people have been killed since Calderon declared an all-out assault on drug cartels after taking office four and a half years ago.

Demonstrators, holding placards saying "No more blood!" and "We're fed up!", urged the conservative Calderon to drop his military-led strategy.

"Mexicans can't take more of this fear. This country is overwhelmed by violence as never before," said Maricarmen Luna, a 36-year-old teacher, as she marched toward the main plaza, or Zocalo.

Mexican media cited Mexico City police estimates of 90,000 in the plaza, though organizers put the number at more than double that.

The gathering was led by poet Javier Sicilia, whose 24-year-old son and six other people were seized and slain by gunmen in Cuernavaca in March. Since then, the elder Sicilia has been a frequent presence on Mexican television, criticizing Mexican leaders across party lines and labeling the drug war a failure.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexican-violence-protest-20110509,0,7690657,print.story

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State to double crime searches using family DNA

California's success in using 'familial searching' spurs Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris to increase funding for the controversial genetic sleuthing technique in rape, murder and cold cases.

A young man followed a woman into a coffee shop as she prepared to open for business at 6 a.m. He put a knife to her throat, sexually assaulted her, barricaded her in a walk-in refrigerator and grabbed cash from the register before vanishing.

The March 2008 attack near the Santa Cruz Harbor in a low-crime neighborhood unnerved the community and spawned an intense police hunt.

"It is the kind of attack that communities most fear — a stranger attacking somebody who truly is just an innocent victim going about their lives," said Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief Steve Clark.

Police dogs, fliers containing a composite sketch of the suspect and a search of the DNA offender database failed to net a suspect — until the state earlier this year traced the suspect through the DNA of his father, a felon whose genetic profile was stored in the database.

Although such genetic sleuthing, known as familial searching, remains controversial — California is one of only three states that permit the technique — Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris has increased the budget to double the number of such searches and reduce a DNA backlog.

"California is on the cutting edge of this in many ways," Harris, who replaced Jerry Brown as the state's top law enforcement officer in January, said in an interview last week. "I think we are going to be a model for the country. I really do."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-familial-dna-20110509,0,689994,print.story

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At Long Beach Community Garden, the spirit of sharing is growing

Southern California's community gardens differ in size, location and demographic, but you'll find one recurring trait at them all: generosity. Gardeners love to share, and in the community gardens I've visited, that best of human qualities is regularly evident -- be it an exchange of hard-to-coax seedlings to just-harvested heirlooms.

At Long Beach Community Garden, known for its stunningly high yields, all gardeners dedicate 10% of their harvest to one of five local charitable organizations. (Other community gardens also donate to food banks, but at Long Beach the giving seems to be on an entirely different level.) The biggest recipient is the Long Beach Rescue Mission, which provides three meals a day to 250 people.

“They'll take everything we can give them,” says Tracy Frate, head of the garden's food bank committee. “Winter is our best season. We have 300 plots and so we get 300 different versions of things. We just went through a season when we got every type of cabbage known to man. We used it all.”

Within reason. That doesn't mean baseball bat-sized zucchini or broccoli that has gone to flower, she says. “Once you let a zucchini get past 10 inches, it's bitter and no good even for a soup.”

Her rule of thumb: If you would feed it to your family, then it can go on the food bank table. Otherwise, it's compost. The same sensibility applies to leafy greens that have been wilting in the heat all day, harvested after the volunteer drivers have made their daily delivery.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2011/05/long-beach-community-garden.html

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Lies don't keep us safe

The government asserts national security as the reason it lied to a judge in a case about surveillance of Muslims in Southern California. But keeping us safe also requires respect for the rule of law and the Constitution.

Lying to a federal court carries a heavy price, but that didn't deter the U.S. Department of Justice from doing exactly that.

Last month, U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney of Santa Ana revealed that the government lied to him in a case related to government surveillance of American Muslims in Southern California. The plaintiffs — including the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California and the Council on American-Islamic Relations — were seeking to obtain records that they believed would prove the FBI had been unfairly targeting Muslims in the area. Carney had asked government lawyers to provide him with all documents pertaining to the Freedom of Information Act request filed by the Muslim groups. Although the government initially provided some of the documents for the judge to review in chambers, it later admitted that it had intentionally withheld additional pages.

"The government asserts that it had to mislead the court regarding the government's response to plaintiffs' FOIA request to avoid compromising national security," Carney wrote in an 18-page ruling. "The government's argument is untenable. The government cannot, under any circumstance, affirmatively mislead the court."

Carney is right. There is no law that permits an individual or the government to lie to the court. To do so is to undermine due process and to prevent courts from enforcing laws. Yet for nearly a decade, the George W. Bush administration and now the Obama administration have used national security as it if were some of kind of fig leaf to cover a multitude of abuses.

We understand that the government has a duty to protect secrets that would put the country in jeopardy if revealed. There are even exemptions under FOIA that the government may claim in order to avoid releasing documents it believes could damage the country's security. But that doesn't mean the government can mislead a court about the existence of those documents.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-secrets-20110509,0,1681157,print.story

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Smugglers Guide Illegal Immigrants With Cues via Cellphone

NOGALES, Ariz. — A group of migrants was hustling north through the southern Arizona desert the other night when one of their cellphones vibrated with a text message. “Watch out,” it warned. “Things are hot up ahead. Take cover in the bushes.”

The message, signaling the presence of the Border Patrol, was sent by a smuggler watching the group's progress through binoculars from a hillside on the Mexican side of the border, members of the group said later. It was part of what border officials and immigrant activists say is an emerging trend in illegal border crossing — the use of what is being called the cybercoyote.

“I've crossed eight times, and this is the first time they've directed me with my cellphone,” said Sandra Silva, 30, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, who was on her way to Phoenix. “It's like a guide through the desert.”

Increased enforcement has made it difficult to sneak into the United States, officials say. And repeat offenders caught in the act are more often receiving stiff prison terms, making smugglers more cautious about risking arrest themselves.

Guides still accompany the bulk of the migrants crossing the border, activists and Border Patrol agents say. Those guides are in regular radio contact with confederates, who warn of trouble ahead. But the Border Patrol has been noticing cases of migrants crossing alone but in cell contact with guides, said Mario Escalante, a spokesman for the Tucson office of the Border Patrol.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/09/us/09coyotes.html?ref=us

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For Some, Helping With Disaster Relief Is Not Just Aid, It's a Calling

RAINSVILLE, Ala. — Some couples spend retirement playing the nation's best golf courses or hopping cruise ships. Not Marteen and Wiley Blankenship. They collect disasters the way other retirees collect passport stamps.

The minute they got the call from Southern Baptist Convention disaster relief leaders that tornadoes had ripped through the South, the Blankenships grabbed their sleeping bags and sturdy shoes and headed out from their home in Decatur, Ala.

Together, they have cleaned up after Hurricane Katrina, mucked out flooded homes in Atlanta and built houses in Sri Lanka. And for the past week they were camped out here in a rural part of northeastern Alabama where 48 lives were lost and thousands more disrupted in the storms.

Mr. Blankenship, 70, and Mrs. Blankenship, 69, heated up chili and Salisbury steak, handing it out to people who drove through a church parking lot and packing it into Red Cross vans that carry meals into the remote countryside.

And they did it all for God.

“I thought when we were done working that I wanted to travel,” said Mrs. Blankenship, a former flight attendant. “I just never thought it'd look like this. But it's our calling.”

With the ability to feed 20,000 people from one mobile kitchen, and a chain of command so tightly run it would make a military officer proud, the Southern Baptist teams are the backbone of disaster relief here.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/09/us/09baptist.html?ref=us

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Boarding? Denied. Lock and Loading? Sure.

Here is a chilling and potentially lethal fact of life: A person on the F.B.I.'s terrorist watch list is barred from boarding an airplane yet is quite free to buy high-power firearms and ammunition at any American gun shop.

This bizarre “terror gap” is starkly underlined by the latest federal data showing that 272 individuals on the terrorist watch list attempted to buy firearms last year, and all but 25 were cleared to make purchases. Those rejected had records for criminal felonies, spousal violence and other threats stipulated in federal gun controls that still don't use the terrorist watch list as a red-flag caution.

The administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama wanted to rectify the situation, proposing that the attorney general be given authority to block gun sales to those on the list, after they were investigated and deemed suspicious under careful guidelines. But successive Congresses rejected reform bills — cowering as usual before the gun lobby, which deemed it an “arbitrary” interference with its never-to-be-trumped right to bear arms.

The watch list is ever a work in progress and innocent citizens have too often complained of being barred from flying. But this shortcoming has nothing to do with the dangerous loophole that Senator Frank Lautenberg, Democrat of New Jersey, and Representative Peter King, Republican of New York, are again trying to close.

The last Congress, in its 11th-hour rush, showed no qualms about approving a ridiculous proposal requiring 9/11 responders and victims to be checked against the terrorist watch list before receiving federal health care benefits. If first-responder heroes must be put to the test, how can Congress continue to guarantee the gun rights of individuals already on the terrorist watch list?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/09/opinion/09mon3.html?ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

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N.Y. lawmakers: Give victims bounty

Two New York congressmen want to see the federal government's reward money for Osama bin Laden's capture go to groups that support first responders, survivors and family members of those killed in the Sept. 11 attacks.

At a press conference Sunday at the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan, Democratic Reps. Anthony Weiner and Jerry Nadler, whose district includes Ground Zero, introduced a bill that would direct up to $50 million intended to be a bounty for bin Laden to groups that have helped those affected move on with their lives.

Since bin Laden's capture appears to be the product of official intelligence efforts, reports have suggested that the reward may not be paid out.

“If the bounty isn't paid, Osama bin Laden's victims should get it,” Weiner said.

Instead, Weiner said, “families and groups who helped deal with survivors of 9/11” should “benefit.” Nadler added that the money “was allocated for 9/11 victims in effect, and this is simply, saying use it more effectively for the purpose that it was set up in the first place.”

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=36806DBE-7A1D-4482-82EB-0C51FF11CE31

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