Today on the presidential campaign trail

IN THE HEADLINES

Obama pledges support for Afghanistan ... McCain raises more than $21 million in June, spends more than he raises as part of strategy ... Pentecostal minister planning Democratic convention promotes party members' faith and values

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Obama meets Afghan president, troops

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) _ Barack Obama pledged steadfast aid to Afghanistan in talks Sunday with its Western-backed leader and vowed to pursue the war on terror "with vigor" if elected, an Afghan official said.

Obama's meeting with President Hamid Karzai came after he had breakfast with U.S. troops.

On the second day of an …

today's people

Lawmaker tries to preempt story

WASHINGTON - Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., one of President Clinton'sharshest critics, has taken the unusual step of telling reportersthat he and his wife have been separated three times during their 38-year marriage.

Burton was trying to preempt what he called a "scandal story" by aVanity Fair writer, although the magazine has not even scheduled thearticle for publication. The chairman of the House Government Reformand Oversight Committee, which has been investigating Clinton'scampaign fund-raising, also said at town meetings Monday in Indianathat he believes Clinton's supporters are spreading personal rumorsabout him in an attempt at …

Custom comfort

Every body needs a comfortable night's sleep. And, most likely, everyone defines "comfortable" differently than his or her spouse, family members or friends. Custom Mattress Outlet on Goshen Road in Fort Wayne is ready to help each individual find the mattress that means comfort and a good night's sleep, customized just for them.

Custom Mattress Outlet has been assuring years of comfortable nights' sleep to thousands of area residents since Bud Doetsch first opened the business in 1978 to manufacture and sell mattresses. It's been a family-focused and -operated business ever since. Bud's daughter, Marguerite, and her husband, Gabe Bolas, bought the store in 1995. They came up with …

South African Football Results

Results from the South African football league (home teams listed first):

Wednesday's Games

SuperSport United 3, Bay United 0

Thanda Royal Zulu 0, AmaZulu 3

Maritzburg United 0, Mamelodi Sundowns 3

Saturday's Games

Golden Arrows 0, Mamelodi Sundowns 1

…

Tears after treasured memories lost in fire ; A MUM-OF-THREE wept today after losing everything in a fire that ripped through a removal firm's warehouse.

A MUM-OF-THREE wept today after losing everything in a fire thatripped through a removal firm's warehouse.

The trauma came weeks before Irene Stewart is due to startchemotherapy treatment for cancer.

The 48-year-old and husband Bill had every piece of furniture,ornaments and kitchen equipment in storage in the building inPortlethen as they waited to move into a new house.

But for the couple the most heartbreaking loss of all is theprecious family mementos which can never be replaced.

Irene said: "I keep thinking of all the photographs, videos,cards, school reports - everything precious from 21 years ofmarriage and our children.

"All of it …

Thief gets away with $75,000 in bull semen

WASHINGTON - In his nearly 16 years in the Frederick County, Md.,Sheriff's Office, Detective Chuck Jenkins has seen a lot: old-fashioned cattle rustling, grand theft tractor and thousands of morepedestrian crimes. But he's never seen anything quite like his mostrecent whodunit: The case of the stolen bull semen.

The burglary took place Sunday in Smithsburg, while Eric Flemingwas away from his farm, Stonewood Acres. When he got home that nightfrom a visit to relatives in Pennsylvania, he found that the …

Victory of pro-Thaksin party in Thai election bodes further instability

Thailand's first election since a 2006 military coup ended Sunday with a big victory for loyalists of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a stunning rebuke to those who ousted him for alleged corruption.

No party won an absolute majority, however, setting the stage for a battle over forming a government _ which could create instability and delay the promised return to democratic rule.

Many fear that a government led by Thaksin loyalists could seek revenge for the coup. About 60 percent of 45 million eligible voters cast ballots for around 5,000 candidates, the state Election Commission said.

Still, the failure of the pro-Thaksin People's …

What happened to unity?

The Hillary candidacy . . .

Dateline -- Denver: Hillary Clinton may have preached party unity at the Democratic National Convention, but hours before she hit the podium -- she addressed a new women's political group and never mentioned Barack Obama's name!

�The kicker: The meeting was closed to the press.

�The buckshot: New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney prefaced her introduction of Hillary to the "Women Count" group by stating: "There's a special place in hell for women who don't support women." Jeez.

Good grief . . .

The battling Bickersons, Gov. Blagojevich and House Speaker Mike Madigan, were spotted huddling in what looked like a group hug at Mayor …

YOU

YOU

zine, creator: Luke You, Free, Sticky Zine Shop, P.O. Box 310, Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria 800 p, AU, stickyshop@gmail.com

This could be the height of pomo literature. For a few months now, non-descript pastry bags stapled shut with the word "you" stamped on the front have been arriving at Broken Pencil headquarters. Inside, a handwritten letter from "Luke" (always underlined). I have no idea who Luke is or who "you" is, but all (or enough) is revealed through this series of pastry bag-enclosed letters, of which I have eight.

Turns out Luke is an everyday guy, who feels a little insecure about his weight, plays in a punk rock band and holds down a day …

WVU Faculty Senate calls for president to quit

West Virginia University's Faculty Senate on Monday demanded that the school president resign over the improper awarding of a degree to the governor's daughter, saying the college cannot rebuild its reputation until he leaves office.

The nonbinding motion of no confidence _ which passed 77-19, with one abstention _ demands that President Mike Garrison step down, or that the WVU Board of Governors require his resignation.

"We all want the healing to begin, but this will not be possible until after a thorough cleansing," said math professor Sherman Riemenschneider, who sponsored the motion. "Our wounds are too deep."

Garrison …

I have no doubt Obama can hold his own in a debate against Keyes or anyone else.

Just when we thought the race to see who will become the next U.S.senator from Illinois wouldn't be a race at all, we get acarpetbagger purporting to give us one.

By now you've all heard the news: Illinois Republicans finallyfound a fall guy willing to spend the next 21/2 months trying toconvince us Democrat Barack Obama isn't the only candidate running.They had to look all the way to Maryland, but they found a guy tocarry their torch.

True, Alan Keyes isn't just any guy. He is an African-American guy-- one who has never won an election, but who is expected to hold hisown in a debate. Especially if he can keep the debate focused on theissues he cares about: gays, …

Community Bankers Association of Kansas: Serious business by the lake

It was the 25th anniversary convention of the Community Bankers Association of Kansas. And there was ample time for celebration in late July at the Lodge of Four Seasons on Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks. There was time for recreation on the golf course or on the water, too. But nitty gritty topics like robbery, taxes, marketing and compliance with the USA Patriot Act kept the attention of members in the meeting rooms.

In a panel discussion featuring small town bankers whose banks have been robbed the moderator, law enforcement veteran Scott Teeselink, emphasized that "your personal safety and that of your employees is paramount." Cooperation with the robbers is essential, he …

NATIONAL LEAGUE GAMES

PHILLIES 5, REDS 2

See story, Page 1B.

CINCINNATI PHILADELPHIA

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Reese 2b 3 0 0 0 Glnville cf 3 0 1 0

Casey 1b 3 0 0 0 Gant lf 4 1 1 0

Dssns p 0 0 0 0 Gomes p 0 0 0 0

Grf Jr cf 4 0 0 0 Abreu rf 3 1 1 2

DYong lf 4 0 1 0 Rolen 3b 4 1 2 0

Bchette rf 4 0 0 0 Brogna 1b 4 0 1 1

Tbnsee c 4 1 3 1 Lbrthal c 4 0 1 0

ABoone 3b 3 0 0 0 Mrndni 2b 3 0 0 0

Dwkins ss 2 0 0 0 AArias ss 3 1 2 0

HMorrs 1b 0 1 0 0 Byrd p 0 1 0 0

Parris p 1 0 0 0 Sefcik lf 0 0 0 0

Stynes ph 1 0 0 0

Aybar p 0 0 0 0

DReyes p 0 0 0 0

Tucker ph 1 0 0 0

JCastro ss 0 0 0 0

Totals 30 2 4 1 Totals 28 5 9 3

Cincinnati 000 000 110-2

Philadelphia 000 220 10x-5

E-Reese (5), AArias (1). DP-Cincinnati 3, Philadelphia 2. LOB-Cincinnati

4, Philadelphia 4. 2B-Taubensee (6), Abreu (7). HR-Taubensee (4).S-Glanville, Byrd. IP H R ER BB SO

Cincinnati

Parris L,1-4 5 7 4 3 2 4

Aybar 12/3 2 1 1 1 0

DReyes 1/3 0 0 0 0 1

Dessens 1 0 0 0 0 1

Philadelphia

Byrd W,1-2 7 3 1 1 1 4

Gomes 2 1 1 0 2 2

WP-Parris, DReyes.

T-2:27. A-23,260 (62,363).

dodgers 6, braves 4

See story, this page.

ATLANTA LOS ANGELES

ab r h bi ab r h bi

QVeras 2b 4 0 0 0 Hlndsw cf 4 3 3 1

AJones cf 2 2 1 0 Grdzln 2b 4 1 2 0

CJones 3b 3 1 1 1 Shffield lf 4 1 1 2

Glrrga 1b 3 0 1 1 Green rf 3 1 3 3

BJordn rf 4 0 1 1 Karros 1b 4 0 0 0

Bonilla lf 3 1 1 0 Hndley c 4 0 0 0

ERPrz c 3 0 0 0 Beltre 3b 4 0 0 0

JLopez c 1 0 0 0 Elster ss 3 0 0 0

Weiss ss 2 0 1 1 JVzcno ss 0 0 0 0

Furcal ss 2 0 0 0 CPerez p 2 0 0 0

GMddx p 2 0 0 0 DHnsn ph 1 0 0 0

Joyner ph 1 0 0 0 Fetters p 0 0 0 0

Shaw p 0 0 0 0

Totals 30 4 6 4 Totals 33 6 9 6

Atlanta 201 100 000-4

Los Angeles 103 010 10x-6

E-Grudzielanek (4), Beltre (9). DP-Los Angeles 2. LOB-Atlanta 5,Los Angeles 4. HR-Hollandsworth (2), Green (6). SB-AJones (3),Hollandsworth (2), Green 2 (5). CS-BJordan (1). S-GMaddux.

IP H R ER BB SO

Atlanta

GMaddux L,4-1 8 9 6 5 1 3

Los Angeles

CPerez W,3-1 7 6 4 4 4 0

Fetters 1 0 0 0 0 1

Shaw S,7 1 0 0 0 0 0

HBP-by Fetters (Galarraga). PB-ERPerez.

T-2:25. A-34,960 (56,000).

PADRES 3, MARLINS 1

Brian Meadows, traded from Florida to San Diego last November forreliever Dan Miceli, came within two outs of his first careershutout.

Meadows exited after giving up a home run to Cliff Floyd, andTrevor Hoffman closed for his fifth save.

FLORIDA SAN DIEGO

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Kotsay rf 4 0 0 0 AMartn lf 3 1 0 0

Berg 2b 4 0 0 0 DJcksn ss 3 1 2 1

Floyd lf 4 1 2 1 Klesko 1b 4 0 2 0

PWilsn cf 3 0 0 0 Nevin 3b 3 1 1 1

Lowell 3b 4 0 0 0 Owens cf 3 0 0 0

DLLee 1b 3 0 2 0 BBoone 2b 4 0 0 0

AGnzlz ss 3 0 0 0 CHrndz c 3 0 0 0

Bako c 3 0 0 0 Nwhan rf 2 0 0 0

Penny p 1 0 0 0 Mdows p 3 0 0 0

Almnza p 0 0 0 0 Hffman p 0 0 0 0

BBrwn ph 1 0 1 0

Miceli p 0 0 0 0

Totals 30 1 5 1 Totals 28 3 5 2

Florida 000 000 001-1

San Diego 012 000 00x-3

E-Kotsay (1), AGonzalez (8), Penny (1), DJackson (4). DP-Florida1, San Diego 2. LOB-Florida 4, San Diego 5. 2B-DJackson (9). HR-Floyd (3), Nevin (8). SB-Owens (9). CS-Owens (4). S-Penny.

IP H R ER BB SO

Florida

Penny L,3-3 62/3 5 3 2 5 5

Almanza 1/3 0 0 0 0 1

Miceli 1 0 0 0 0 1

San Diego

Meadows W,3-2 81/3 5 1 1 0 4

Hoffman S,5 2/3 0 0 0 0 2

HBP-by Meadows (PWilson).

T-2:19. A-14,586 (46,510).

PIRATES 8, CARDS 2

Kris Benson survived four walks in the first to become the firstPirate starter with two victories.

Brian Giles and Kevin Young homered on consecutive pitches in thePittsburgh sixth. St. Louis center fielder Jim Edmonds crashed intothe wall to rob Wil Cordero of a home run in the seventh, but hadthe wind knocked out of him and left after the inning.

PITTSBURGH ST. LOUIS

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Aven cf 3 1 0 0 Vina 2b 5 0 0 0

ABrwn cf 1 0 0 0 Rnteria ss 4 1 0 0

WMrrs 2b 5 0 0 0 Edmnd cf 3 1 3 0

Kendall c 4 3 4 0 THwrd rf 2 0 0 0

Giles rf 3 2 2 3 McGwr 1b 2 0 0 0

KYong 1b 5 2 3 3 Lnkfrd lf 3 0 0 0

WCrdro lf 5 0 1 1 Pquette 3b 3 0 0 1

Meares ss 4 0 1 0 Drew rf 2 0 0 1

Sojo 3b 4 0 2 0 Mtheny c 3 0 1 0

Benson p 3 0 0 0 Hntgen p 2 0 1 0

Vn wal ph 1 0 0 0 Sutton ph 1 0 0 0

MGrca p 0 0 0 0 Stchscl p 0 0 0 0

Chrstns p 0 0 0 0 Dnston ph 1 0 0 0

Veres p 0 0 0 0

Totals 38 8 13 7 Totals 31 2 5 2

Pittsburgh 100 003 400-8

St. Louis 200 000 000-2

DP-Pittsburgh 1, St. Louis 1. LOB-Pittsburgh 7, St. Louis 10. 2B-Kendall (5), KYoung (8), Sojo 2 (3), Edmonds (7). 3B-WCordero (1).HR-Giles (6), KYoung (3). SB-Edmonds (3), Drew (2). CS-Kendall (5).

IP H R ER BB SO

Pittsburgh

Benson W,2-3 7 5 2 2 7 7

MGarcia 1 0 0 0 1 2

Christiansen 1 0 0 0 0 0

St. Louis

Hentgen L,3-3 6 7 4 4 2 7

Stechschulte 2 5 4 4 1 0

Veres 1 1 0 0 1 1

WP-Stechschulte.

T-3:08. A-32,270 (49,676).

BREWERS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1

Horacio Estrada, called up from Class AAA before the game,pitched seven strong innings in his first Major League start.Estrada made four relief appearances for Milwaukee last year.

Arizona lost for only the fifth time in 14 road games.

ARIZONA MILWAUKEE

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Wmack ss 4 0 1 1 Blliard 2b 4 1 2 0

JBell 2b 4 0 1 0 Grssom cf 4 0 2 0

LGnzlz lf 4 0 0 0 Burnitz rf 4 0 0 1

Clbrnn 1b 1 0 0 0 Hayes 1b 4 0 1 0

LHarrs ph 1 0 0 0 Jenkins lf 3 2 2 1

SFinley cf 4 0 0 0 Berry 3b 4 1 2 2

Gilkey rf 2 0 0 0 Wckmn p 0 0 0 0

DMiller c 3 1 1 0 Blanco c 4 0 1 0

Klassen 3b 3 0 0 0 LLopez ss 4 0 0 0

Daal p 2 0 1 0 Estrda p 2 0 0 0

Sprngr p 0 0 0 0 JMoutn ph 1 0 0 0

AFox ph 1 0 0 0 Wthers p 0 0 0 0

BKim p 0 0 0 0 KBarkr 1b 0 0 0 0

Totals 29 1 4 1 Totals 34 4 10 4

Arizona 001 000 000-1

Milwaukee 100 102 00x-4

E-DMiller (2), Belliard (3). DP-Milwaukee 2. LOB-Arizona 4,Milwaukee 7. 2B-JBell (5), DMiller (5), Grissom (6), Hayes (5),Jenkins (5). HR-Jenkins (11), Berry (1). SB-Belliard (1), Grissom(5). CS-Colbrunn (1).

IP H R ER BB SO

Arizona

Daal L,0-3 62/3 9 4 4 1 3

Springer 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

BKim 1 1 0 0 0 3

Milwaukee

Estrada W,1-0 7 3 1 1 3 2

Weathers 1 1 0 0 0 0

Wickman S,4 1 0 0 0 0 1

WP-BKim.

T-2:28. A-9,600 (53,192).

giants 8, mets 5

11 innings

Jeff Kent's three-run homer in the 11th gave San Francisco itsthird straight win over New York.

The Giants have won three in a row at Pacific Bell Park afterstarting out 1-7 in their new stadium.

Marvin Benard singled to open the 11th against Turk Wendell andBarry Bonds walked on four pitches. Kent followed with a drive intothe left-field seats.

NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Nnnally lf 1 2 1 1 CMurry cf 4 0 1 1

Agbyni lf 2 0 1 0 Rios rf 1 0 0 0

DeBell rf 5 0 3 1 Benard rf 6 2 2 0

Alfonzo 2b 5 0 1 0 Bonds lf 5 1 1 1

Vntura 3b 5 0 2 0 Kent 2b 5 1 3 4

Payton cf 3 1 0 0 RDavis 1b 3 1 0 0

Cook p 0 0 0 0 Snow 1b 2 0 1 0

Mhmes p 0 0 0 0 Mueller 3b 5 1 2 0

Piazza ph 1 0 1 0 Aurilia ss 3 1 2 0

JFrnco p 0 0 0 0 Mrbelli c 2 0 0 1

KAbbtt ph 1 0 0 0 Burks ph 1 0 0 0

Wndell p 0 0 0 0 Estlella c 0 0 0 0

MFrnc 1b 3 1 1 0 RROrtz p 1 1 0 0

Zeile 1b 2 0 1 0 REMtz ph 0 0 0 1

Pratt c 5 1 2 1 Jhnstne p 0 0 0 0

Ordnez ss 4 0 0 0 Fultz p 0 0 0 0

Hmptn p 2 0 0 0 Nen p 0 0 0 0

Mora cf 2 0 1 2 Crespo ph 0 0 0 0

FARigz p 0 0 0 0

Totals 41 5 14 5 Totals 38 8 12 8

New York 101 100 200 00-5

San Francisco 101 003 000 03-8

No outs when winning run scored.

E-Ventura (4). DP-New York 2, San Francisco 4. LOB-New York 6,San Francisco 11. 2B-Piazza (12), Pratt (3). 3B-Mora (1). HR-Nunnally (2), Kent (7). SB-Nunnally (3), Payton (2), Benard (4),Mueller (1). CS-Nunnally (1), Kent (2). S-Ordonez, Aurilia, Fultz.

IP H R ER BB SO

New York

Hampton 51/3 6 5 4 6 2

Cook 2/3 1 0 0 0 1

Mahomes 1 1 0 0 0 0

JFranco 2 1 0 0 1 2

Wendell L,2-1 1 3 3 3 2 0

San Francisco

RROrtiz 6 6 3 3 2 4

Johnstone 1/3 3 2 2 0 0

Fultz 22/3 2 0 0 0 4

Nen 1 2 0 0 0 1

FARigz W,1-0 1 1 0 0 0 0

Wendell pitched to 3 batters in the 11th.

WP-RROrtiz.

T-4:06. A-40,930 (40,800).

ROCKIES 16, EXPOS 7

Todd Helton went 5-for-5 and Colorado set a team record with 24hits.

The Rockies, who scored 72 runs in a six-game homestand againstMontreal and New York, led 16-4 after five innings.

MONTREAL COLORADO

ab r h bi ab r h bi

TLJons lf 4 0 0 0 Godwin cf 4 2 3 3

Brgron cf 5 1 1 0 BLHntr cf 2 0 1 0

Vidro 2b 5 2 1 0 Lnsing 2b 5 1 2 1

VGrero rf 3 2 2 0 LWalkr rf 3 3 2 1

WGrero rf 2 0 0 0 Bragg rf 2 0 1 0

LStvns 1b 3 1 2 3 Cirillo 3b 4 3 4 1

Mrdcai 1b 1 1 1 3 Ldsma 3b 1 0 0 0

Blum ss 4 0 2 1 Helton 1b 5 2 5 2

Cqllette 3b 4 0 2 0 Hmnds lf 4 1 1 2

Widger c 2 0 0 0 NPerez ss 5 2 1 2

Wbster c 1 0 0 0 Servais c 5 1 2 2

Irabu p 1 0 0 0 Astacio p 4 1 1 1

Lira p 1 0 0 0 JJimnz p 1 0 1 0

MJJhsn p 2 0 1 0 Jarvis pr 0 0 0 0

Kline p 0 0 0 0 MMyrs p 0 0 0 0

Totals 38 7 12 7 Totals 45 16 24 15

Montreal 010 120 300- 7

Colorado 206 620 00x-16

E-Helton 2 (3). DP-Montreal 2, Colorado 2. LOB-Montreal 6,Colorado 8. 2B-VGuerrero 2 (6), LStevens (6), Blum (4), Hammonds(3), NPerez (9). 3B-Goodwin (6), Lansing (1). HR-LStevens (5),Mordecai (2). CS-Blum (1). S-TLJones, Lansing.

IP H R ER BB SO

Montreal

Irabu L,1-3 2 9 8 8 2 1

Lira 12/3 8 6 6 0 1

MJJohnson 31/3 6 2 2 0 0

Kline 1 1 0 0 0 0

Colorado

Astacio W,3-2 7 10 7 5 1 6

JJimenez 1 2 0 0 0 0

MMyers 1 0 0 0 0 0

Irabu pitched to 6 batters in the 3rd.

Balk-Irabu 2.

T-3:04. A-39,033 (50,381).

CUBS 4, ASTROS 3

Jon Lieber beat Houston for the second time in a week. RickAguilera struck out Ken Caminiti with two runners on base to end thegame.

Eric Young homered to lead off the Cub first.

HOUSTON CHICAGO

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Biggio 2b 4 1 2 0 EWYng 2b 3 1 1 1

Brkmn rf 5 0 1 2 Gterrez ss 3 0 1 0

Bgwell 1b 5 0 1 0 Grace 1b 4 1 1 0

Cminiti 3b 4 0 1 0 SSosa rf 3 0 1 0

Hidalgo cf 4 1 2 1 Rdrgez lf 4 1 1 1

DWard lf 2 0 0 0 WGrne 3b 3 1 0 0

Lugo ss 0 0 0 0 Agilera p 0 0 0 0

Esebio c 3 0 0 0 Reed c 3 0 0 0

Mlskey c 1 0 0 0 Buford cf 4 0 1 2

Bogar ss 3 0 0 0 Lieber p 3 0 1 0

Mieske lf 1 0 0 0 Frnswr p 0 0 0 0

Holt p 2 1 1 0 Andrws 3b 0 0 0 0

Spiers ph 1 0 0 0

JWPwll p 0 0 0 0

Cedeno ph 1 0 0 0

Totals 36 3 8 3 Totals 30 4 7 4

Houston 000 120 000-3

Chicago 400 000 00x-4

E-EWYoung (4). LOB-Houston 10, Chicago 7. 2B-Biggio (4),Rodriguez (7). HR-Hidalgo (7), EWYoung (2). SB-Biggio (4).

IP H R ER BB SO

Houston

Holt L,1-4 6 7 4 4 4 2

JWPowell 2 0 0 0 0 1

Chicago

Lieber W,3-2 72/3 6 3 3 4 7

Farnsworth 1/3 0 0 0 0 1

Aguilera S,6 1 2 0 0 0 2

HBP-by Holt (EWYoung). WP-Holt, Lieber.

T-2:37. A-26,828 (38,884).

New Faces Spur Buckeyes to 38-6 Win

COLUMBUS, Ohio - No. 11 Ohio State took its first step toward forgetting the end of last season.

Todd Boeckman played well in his first start replacing Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Troy Smith and the Buckeyes made just about all the big plays in beating Youngstown State 38-6 on Saturday.

The Buckeyes welcomed the game as a way to put some distance between themselves and the painful memories of a humiliating 41-14 defeat to Florida in the BCS national championship game Jan. 8.

It was the first time the schools met in football, with Youngstown State now a member of the new Football Championship Subdivision, formerly I-AA.

Boeckman, a tall, rangy junior, directed the first four touchdown drives as the Buckeyes steadily pulled away. He completed 17-of-23 passes for 225 yards and two 1-yard TDs.

Dane Sanzenbacher and Taurian Washington, a pair of prized freshmen wide-outs, each scored on their first career receptions, Sanzenbacher's coming on a 3-yard toss from Boeckman and Washington's covering 37 yards from Antonio Henton.

Another freshman, Brandon Saine, the reigning Mr. Football in Ohio, also was part of the coming-out party with 42 yards rushing on 10 carries including a 1-yard touchdown plunge. He jitterbugged in and out of traffic on a 16-yard TD run late in the third quarter that was called back by a holding call.

Trever Robinson, a seldom used fullback, waited five years to see much playing time on offense. But he caught his first career pass and it also went for a TD in the fourth quarter.

Youngstown State, coming off a final-four appearance in the I-AA playoffs last season, didn't wilt before a crowd of 105,038 at Ohio Stadium - the largest ever to see the Penguins play.

Today on the presidential campaign trail

IN THE HEADLINES

In visit to Puerto Rico, Obama criticizes McCain for not supporting new GI Bill ... Obama picks up delegates in Georgia, Alaska and Wyoming; Clinton gains 1, loses 1 ... Former President Clinton says Hillary Clinton could still win nomination ...

___

Obama criticizes McCain on veterans' benefits

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico (AP) _ Barack Obama told veterans he can't understand why Republican John McCain opposes legislation that would provide college scholarships to people who have served in the U.S. military.

"Now, let me be clear: No one can dispute John McCain's love for this country or his concern for veterans. But here's what I don't understand. I don't understand why John McCain would side with George Bush and oppose our plan to make college more affordable for our veterans," the Democratic presidential candidate said Saturday. "George Bush and John McCain may think our plan is too generous. I could not disagree more."

Obama's criticism renews a clash that turned personal after the Senate approved the scholarship bill Thursday.

During the Senate debate, the Illinois senator questioned why McCain a Navy veteran and former prisoner of war would oppose the measure.

McCain responded with a sharp statement saying that he wouldn't listen to any lectures on veterans' affairs from Obama, "who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform."

Obama, speaking to reporters aboard his plane Saturday, countered that the idea that he can't speak on veterans' issues because he didn't serve in the military "makes no sense whatsoever."

"I didn't serve, as many people my age, because the Vietnam war was over by the time I was of draft age and we went to an all-volunteer Army. But obviously I revere our soldiers and want to make sure they are being treated with honor and respect," he added.

The Arizona senator opposes the scholarship measure, as does the Pentagon, because it applies to people who serve just three years. He fears that would encourage people to leave the military after only one enlistment even as the U.S. fights two wars and is trying to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps.

Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at an evening rally in Aguadilla, where she reminded the crowd of her ties to Puerto Rico as a first lady and then as senator from New York, which has approximately 1 million Puerto Rican residents.

___

Obama picks up 4 delegates

ATLANTA (AP) _ Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton each picked up a delegate in Georgia on Saturday as state Democrats selected their delegation to the party's national convention in Denver this summer.

Obama picked up another superdelegate later Saturday in Wyoming, then one more in Alaska. Obama also took a pledged delegate from Clinton at Alaska's Democratic party convention Saturday.

That brings Obama's overall delegates to 1,974 _ only 52 shy of the 2,026 needed to secure the presidential nomination _ to Clinton's 1,779.

The two add-on delegates in Georgia are state party secretary Stephen Leeds, an Obama supporter, and Verna Cleveland, who was Clinton's Georgia state director.

The add-on in Wyoming was state Rep. W. Patrick Goggles, who told the Associated Press after his selection that he will support Obama at the convention.

In Alaska, former Gov. Tony Knowles said he would support Obama for president.

___

Former President Clinton: primary win could persuade party leaders

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) _ Former President Bill Clinton said Saturday that a victory by his wife in next month's Democratic primary in Montana could force party leaders to reassess her bid for the presidential nomination.

Hillary Rodham Clinton has been scrambling to close a widening delegate lead held by Barack Obama with only three contests yet to be decided.

Her husband told a crowd at Montana State University in Bozeman that Clinton victories in Montana and South Dakota on June 3 would boost her claim that she deserves the party's nomination _ and could persuade key superdelegates to support her.

"She can still be nominated. Don't let anybody kid you," Clinton said as the crowd of several hundred cheered. "All these superdelegates that have said they're for this one or that one or the other, they can all flip. So you do matter."

The former president also said his wife, if elected, would turn around the nation's ailing economy, end the war in Iraq and enact universal health care.

His appearance in Montana came as Obama edges ever-closer to capturing enough delegates for the nomination. ___

THE DEMOCRATS

Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigns in Puerto Rico. Barack Obama delivers the commencement address at Wesleyan University.

___

THE REPUBLICANS

John McCain has no scheduled public events.

___

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"I think everyone knew realistically that he was starting as an underdog." _ Valerie Jarrett, a longtime friend and adviser to Barack Obama.

___

STAT OF THE DAY:

The Republican National Committee had more than $40 million in the bank at the start of May. The Democratic National Committee had $4.4 million.

___

Compiled by Ann Sanner and Ronald Powers.

Du Page residents favor stadium - but not nearby

Du Page County residents would love a White Sox stadium, butthey don't want to live next door to one.

That's the finding of a White Sox survey for which a detailedanalysis was released yesterday.

Survey results initially released last week showed west suburbanresidents favored the stadium 2,544 to 909.

However, a suburb-by-suburb breakdown released yesterday showedthe stadium was rejected by residents of suburbs near the proposedsite in Addison.

Ballots for the survey were filled out by people attending theDu Page County Fair last month.

The proposed stadium was turned down 82-78 in Addison, 73-35 inadjoining Bloomingdale, 19-10 in Itasca and 39-30 in Roselle. Italso lost 1-0 in Oakbrook Terrace.

It was approved by large margins in most of the other 29 suburbswhere those responding to it live.

Paul Reis, the White Sox' Du Page liaison, said the team'sofficials were not surprised.

"We realize that those folks have some very legitimate concernsabout what the construction of a stadium is going to do to theirlifestyle," Reis said. "When we get a chance to talk one-on-one andhave some public forums later in the year, we can turn that around."

In a related development, two County Board members who opposethe stadium said they will conduct their own survey. R. Lloyd Renfroand Connie Zimmerman said ballots will be published today in threelocal newspapers and ballots will be made available at local stores.

Lindsey Vonn wins Crans-Montana women's downhill

Lindsey Vonn secured her third straight World Cup downhill discipline title Saturday with a narrow victory in her first race since the Vancouver Olympics.

The American beat Italy's Johanna Schnarf by a mere 0.01 seconds after finishing the Nationale downhill course in 1 minute, 35.26 seconds, under difficult conditions.

Marianne Abderhalden of Switzerland was third, 0.38 seconds behind Vonn.

Vonn started 16th in a field of 48 under poor visibility and an icy wind that forced organizers to cancel Friday's super-combined race for safety reasons.

"It was a tough race out there today," Vonn said. "Sometimes there would be a headwind, sometimes a tail wind, it was snowing really hard and there was a lot of new snow on the track."

A dramatic change of conditions in the top part of the course halfway through the race allowed several slower skiers to post impressive times, including Schnarf and Abderhalden, who celebrated their first World Cup podium finishes, and fourth-placed Marusa Ferk of Slovenia. Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg, who surprisingly won the Olympic giant slalom, came fifth.

Anja Paerson of Sweden, who is third in the overall and downhill standings, broke off her run after an apparent problem with her goggles.

It was Vonn's sixth win in seven World Cup downhill races this season, and 10th victory across all disciplines. She is now tied with Bode Miller for the most career World Cup victories by an American _ 32.

Vonn, who won gold in the downhill and bronze in the super-G at the Olympics came, clinched the Crystal Globe for the downhill discipline by increasing her lead over Riesch to 189 with just one race left.

"It's been a great season and I'm really happy with everything that's happened," Vonn said. "I think of all the titles, I am most proud of winning the Olympic downhill gold _ that was the highlight of the season for me."

The International Ski Federation said it would not reschedule the canceled super-combined event, with Vonn leading the standings after just two events held. FIS secretary general Sarah Lewis said Vonn's super-combined title would be confirmed "in the course of the week." Vonn has already clinched the super-G title.

Vonn said she hoped to keep up her momentum through to next week's final World Cup races in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. She has a 197-point lead in the overall World Cup standings over Germany's Maria Riesch, who was sixth.

"I'm going to keep things going through to finals and hopefully I can stay in the lead in the overall," Vonn said.

ICC warrant raises questions on leaders targeted

The International Criminal Court's decision to pursue a sitting head of state on war crimes charges puts others around the world on notice, but it's also raising questions about which leaders are being targeted.

African and Arab nations say they will support Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, fearing the warrant issued against him Wednesday will bring even more conflict in Darfur, where up to 300,000 people have died since 2003, and further destabilize Sudan.

And they question why only Africans have been charged since the ICC _ branded "the white man's court" by Sudan's information ministry _ began its work six years ago. A temporary court, the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, indicted Slobodan Milosevic in 1999 while he was still president of Yugoslavia.

The chairman of the 52-state African Union has accused the court of "double standards," asking why no cases have emerged from conflicts in the Caucasus, Iraq or Gaza.

"The African states were the strongest supporters of establishing the ICC. It wouldn't have been possible without them. But there has been a significant shift in the past year," said Christopher Hall, senior legal adviser to Amnesty International.

Outside Africa, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo is investigating possible cases in Colombia, Georgia and Afghanistan as well as a Palestinian request for charges against Israel for its actions in Gaza.

In Africa, those considered possible targets of the court are leaders in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, Ivory Coast, Rwanda and Central African Republic.

Even among the Africans, the court's choices are questioned. Why is it prosecuting former Congolese warlord and vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba for alleged crimes his fighters committed in Central African Republic, and not the ousted Central African leader who invited Bemba's forces?

Why not the many other Congolese warlords whose forces all are accused of gross atrocities, including those of President Joseph Kabila? And what about the leaders in Rwanda, Uganda and other African countries that sent troops to Congo?

"It's a very uneven path," said Reed Brody, legal counselor for Human Rights Watch. "We're still in a situation where if you are powerful or protected by the powerful you can avoid a reckoning."

South African Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu said African leaders are behaving shamefully and dismissed concerns that the court's action would impede promoting peace.

"Are they on the side of the victim or the oppressor?" Tutu asked in a column in The New York Times. "Rather than stand by those who have suffered in Darfur, African leaders have so far rallied behind the man responsible for turning that corner of Africa into a graveyard."

Al-Bashir's presidential adviser, Mustafa Osman Ismail, branded the world's first permanent international court to investigate war crimes "one of the tools of the new colonization" aimed at destabilizing the sprawling oil-rich nation.

Sudan is Africa's biggest country, covering an area the size of Western Europe and bridging the continent's northern Muslim Arabs and southern Christian and animist Africans in a union riven with conflict since independence from Britain in 1956.

In Darfur, the war began in 2003 when rebel ethnic African groups, many of them Muslim, took up arms against the Arab-dominated government they accuse of discrimination and neglect. Up to 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million have been forced from their homes in what the United States calls a genocide.

Those who argue that amnesty is a more powerful weapon for peace, though, point to Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony, who defaulted on a peace agreement after the court issued an arrest warrant against him.

In recent months, Kony's Lord's Resistance Army is accused of killing more than 1,500 civilians in northeast Congo and driving some 100,000 from their homes.

"There is a balance between attaining justice and sustainable peace," Uganda's Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa said Wednesday.

While another rebel leader, Bosco Ntaganda, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, Congo chose rather to treat with him and integrate his fighters into the national army. The move appears so far to have diminished the most powerful rebel threat in eastern Congo.

Sudan has reportedly said that African nations opposed to al-Bashir's arrest warrant would pull out of the ICC in protest, but none had done so as of Thursday.

Thirty of the court's 108 member states are African. And every indictment it has brought acted on requests from African members _ Uganda, Congo and Central African Republic. Al-Bashir's arrest warrant is the exception, initiated by the U.N. Security Council.

That in itself shows hypocrisy, critics say, given that three of the council's five permanent members _ China, Russia and the United States _ refuse to join the international court.

The precedent set by the court Wednesday could extend to former U.S. President George W. Bush, amid charges his officials were the architects of criminal detention policies that led to torture in Iraq and at Guantanamo detention center in Cuba. But that is an extremely remote prospect. The Security Council is unlikely to order that while Washington is a veto-wielding permanent member.

"The world's justice looks with one eye," complained Taher Nunu, spokesman for Hamas, the Islamic militant group that Israel has been battling in Gaza."

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Michelle Faul is the AP's chief of African news.

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On the Net:

International Criminal Court: http://www.icc-cpi.int/Menus/ICC/Situations+and+Cases/Cases

Religion News in Brief

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Chapman University offers to buy Crystal Cathedral's properties in Chapter 11 bankruptcy

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (AP) — An Orange County university has offered to buy property belonging to the famous Crystal Cathedral Ministries, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year.

Chapman University has offered $46 million to use two buildings on the sprawling campus in Garden Grove, possibly for a new medical school, university president Jim Doti said Tuesday.

Other possibilities include exploring the option of building a pharmacy or dental program on half of the property, with the remaining 35 acres leased back to the megachurch, he said.

"It is hard to find buildable land in a dynamic community like Garden Grove," Doti told The Associated Press, noting the church property is near several major hospitals. "To dream big dreams, it helps to have the wherewithal to do it — and the space."

But there are other potential offers in the works and it is too soon to say what will happen to the sprawling church property, said Marc Winthrop, the church's bankruptcy attorney.

The church aims to sell off its property — and lease portions back for use for services — to help erase its $36 million mortgage and wipe out almost all of the $10 million in unsecured debt that has plagued the institution for several years after a disastrous leadership transition and slump in donations.

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Court orders curator to protect and preserve Indian temple's newly revealed treasures

NEW DELHI (AP) — India's top court has ordered a curator to be appointed to protect and preserve the vast treasures newly revealed in a Hindu temple in southern India.

The gold coins, jewels and gem-encrusted statues were found recently in an inventory of underground vaults of the 16th-century Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala. Initial estimates put the value at $22 billion but the inventory is not yet finished.

The Supreme Court also Wednesday directed that the entire trove be photographed and filmed. The court previously ordered the inspection of the vaults after a lawyer petitioned a local court asking the state government to take over the temple. The lawyer cited security concerns.

The temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, was built by the maharajas who ruled the then-kingdom of Travancore and was controlled by the erstwhile royal family after India's independence in 1947. So far five of the six vaults of the temple have been opened.

The unforeseen riches instantly have turned the temple into one of India's wealthiest religious institutions.

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Philippine Senate probes illegal donations to Catholic bishops friendly to ex-President Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine lawmakers are investigating allegations that some Roman Catholic bishops may have illegally received donations from the government's lottery operator in exchange for political favors.

The chairman of the state-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Margie Juico, told senators in a hearing Wednesday that an audit showed that at least $158,600 in charity funds were used to buy five vehicles upon the request of several bishops.

Juico said one bishop asked former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for a brand new car on his 66th birthday in 2009 and received a $39,000 sport utility vehicle.

Such donations would violate a law prohibiting the use of state funds for religious purposes.

Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos of southern Butuan city wrote Arroyo saying he won't organize a birthday party in consideration of the "existing (economic) crisis." Instead, he asked her for "a brand new car, possibly a 4 x 4," to help him reach remote areas to promote peace on the main southern island of Mindanao, which is wracked by insurgency.

In a follow-up letter, he said the vehicle was for "spiritual and social services programs."

His letters were addressed to both Arroyo and the charity agency, which indicated that he expected the money for the car will come from the government's lotto operator.

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Hutchison asks VA to investigate alleged ban on use of religious words from soldiers' funerals

HOUSTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison asked a Veterans Affairs Secretary Erik Shinseki to investigate allegations of religious discrimination by Houston VA officials.

Several Houston veterans groups have filed a lawsuit accusing officials of banning such religious words as "God" and censoring their prayers at soldiers' funerals.

In a letter to the VA secretary, the Texas Republican wrote that she was "greatly concerned by the complaints." She asserted, "Our veterans swore to uphold the Constitution with their lives, and they and their families religious freedom should be honored, not prohibited."

VA spokesman Josh Taylor said families decide whether a religious service occurs and what type. He says "the name of God or Jesus is not only allowed at burial services, it is common and freely spoken" at national cemeteries nationwide.

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Vatican opens archives for unprecedented exhibit

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican will display 100 select documents from its Secret Archives at an unprecedented exhibit next year that includes previously unpublished papers from its World War II papacy.

"Lux in Arcana: The Vatican Secret Archives Revealed" opens in February at Rome's Capitoline Museums and marks the first time such precious documents, manuscripts and parchments have been allowed out of the Vatican vaults for view by the general public.

The occasion is the archive's 400th anniversary.

On view will be the acts of Galileo's trial for heresy as well as the letter from members of the British Parliament asking Pope Clement XII to annul the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon — one of the key events that led to England's break with the Roman Catholic Church.

Organizers said some of the previously unseen documents concern the papacy of Pope Pius XII, accused by some of failing to do enough to stop the Holocaust. Those documents normally wouldn't have been released for another three or four years since Vatican librarians slowly catalog the archives in chronological order and are still working on Pius' papacy.

Nuggets: Nene's Tumor Malignant

A testicular tumor removed from Denver Nuggets forward Nene was malignant.

The team said Tuesday the tumor was discovered early, and tests showed the cancer was isolated.

"The recovery rate is extremely high," the Nuggets said in a written statement. "In addition, the odds of a recurrence are very small."

The Brazilian player underwent surgery Jan. 14 to remove the tumor. The team said he was doing well, but there was no timetable for his return.

Nene's Web site had posted a statement last week saying the tumor was benign, but that announcement later was removed.

The Brazilian news magazine, Epoca, reported on its Web site the tumor was small and was completely removed in surgery, citing Nene's Brazilian urologist Dr. Fernando Kim. Examinations of his blood, lungs, pelvis and abdomen showed there was no other tumor in his body.

"There is no sign the disease has spread," Kim told the magazine, adding the player was recovering "physically and psychologically extremely well."

Nene's right testicle was removed, and the early diagnosis made it "close to 100 percent" sure that the treatment was successful, Epoca said. He added Nene would be sidelined at least until March, because two months was the minimum for recovery.

Nene took an indefinite leave of absence from the team on Jan. 11.

Nuggets coach George Karl has experienced a couple of health scares over the past few years. He was treated for prostate cancer in 2005; his son, Coby, was diagnosed with papillary carcinoma, a form of treatable cancer, in January 2006 and had his thyroid removed three months later. Last April, Coby, who's now a guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, underwent more surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes.

Nene, who is averaging 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, missed 22 games earlier this season after undergoing surgery on his left thumb. He was out for all but one game of the 2005-06 season after tearing a knee ligament.

47

47 by Walter Mosley Little, Brown and Company, May 2005 $16.99, ISBN 0-316-11035-3

In Walter Mosley's latest gripping tale, 47, the story begins in 1832 on the Corinthian Plantation, where Tobias Turner is the master and 47 is among the enslaved. Eventually, 47 encounters Tall John. 47 was put on Earth to save the universe-at least that's what Tall John tells him. Tall John teaches 47 his true purpose in life. Tall John is able to read dreams, fly between galaxies, and make friends with animals, because he is from a place that is thousands of years away from Earth. Walter Mosley is a force to be reckoned with in this lifetime and those to come.

His infinite imagination makes this incredible reading. 47 is a wonderful book of lessons that hold true for today and tomorrow.

[Author Affiliation]

Reviewed by Nancey Flowers

Nancey Flowers is the author of Shattered Vessels (Flowers in Bloom Publishing, December 2002) and a forthcoming novel No Strings Attached.

California Gym Caters to Teenagers

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Stephen Wallace hopped off an elliptical machine and got a pep talk from his personal trainer about his bench-press goals. Wiping away sweat, he said social commitments can make it hard to get to the gym every other day.

Wallace isn't a busy professional squeezing in lunchtime workouts; he's a skinny 16-year-old with braces and a backward baseball cap. He's working out at Overtime Fitness Inc., one of the nation's only gyms for teens.

"At other gyms no one would sit down and teach me how to use the weights or the machines," said Wallace, a junior at Palo Alto High School. "Here, you get a lot of personal attention and that gives you motivation."

Wallace's mother pays the $59 monthly fee at Overtime, a Mountain View gym that has about 100 teen members and hopes for regional and even national franchises.

The gym offers a mix of conventional training equipment - treadmills, free weights, yoga mats - and kid-friendly features like a rock-climbing wall and cheerleading conditioning sessions. It also tries to appeal to teens with an arcade featuring video games requiring kids to box, dance and jump. Riders race against each other on stationary bikes.

Although fitness enthusiasts applaud the company's effort to reduce the rising incidence of teen obesity, public policy experts say its very existence is a byproduct of school budget cuts that have led to fewer physical education classes and after-school sports programs.

Others question Overtime's use of video games - a tactic that won't necessarily compel kids to keep exercising as they grow up.

Investors and employees - including founder Patrick Ferrell, who launched GamePro Magazine and helped establish the video game conference E3 - say high-tech toys lure some teens. But they say the gym also offers nutritional counseling and academic tutoring that encourage lifelong health. Plus, they say, it's better than leaving kids at malls and fast-food restaurants.

"What are our teenagers doing when they're idle? They eat, they go to Starbucks, they sit around at the mall and they have corresponding health problems," said CEO Laura Tauscher, a mother of two teenagers. "We're not trying to create gym rats - we're trying to give kids the tools and intelligence to keep their health in mind."

Overtime, which opened in September and still hasn't turned a profit, is entering the market as established chains are trying to get kids to become lifetime members. San Ramon-based 24 Hour Fitness just started "Hoopology," a summer basketball pilot program in the San Francisco Bay Area for boys and girls ages 8-17.

The company is far from the first niche gym - Woodway, Texas-based Curves International Inc., which targets women 35 and older, debuted in 1992 and has become the largest fitness franchise in the world, with 10,000 locations in 42 countries. There are about 1.5 Curves for every two McDonald's in the United States.

Although Overtime was founded exclusively for teenagers, in January it opened to women from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is opening to men this week and with expanded overall hours.

Like other gyms, Overtime caters to customers who can afford to pay for a place to exercise. But experts note that low-income teens are at the highest risk of obesity, diabetes, asthma and other health problems.

"Fitness is more akin to a public good, especially for kids," said Ann Cotten, director of the Schaefer Center for Public Policy at the University of Baltimore. "I worry that the kids that get access to this gym are the same ones on private soccer leagues."

The company is considering asking Mountain View-based Google Inc. and other local businesses to fund memberships for lower-income teens. It says it hopes to reduce teens' monthly fee as it gets more revenue from adults. Currently, day passes are $10, or five for $40.

Ximena Urrutia-Rojas, an associate professor of social and behavioral sciences at the University of North Texas, said emphasizing teen health is good but is no substitute for an active lifestyle that involves the whole family.

"Even teenagers who say they want to separate from parents feel motivated when parents or other adults initiate the activity," she said.

Sarah Barlow, associated professor of pediatrics at Saint Louis University, praised Overtime's novel approach.

"Even for adults, the treadmill and stationary bike don't sustain interest over time," Barlow said. "I like the idea of taking video games, which are so successful at engaging kids, and modifying them to get kids engaged in physical activity - now that's fun."

Iraq's tight race prompt warnings of violence

Iraqi election results Friday will likely show a virtual tie between the two top vote-getting blocs led by the prime minister and his chief rival, a political equation that could add up to bitter political wrangling and risk re-igniting violence.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite who enjoys wide support with the Shiite majority, is neck and neck with former prime minister Ayad Allawi, who's popular with Iraq's Sunni minority. If neither camp emerges with a clear mandate to lead Iraq's fragile democracy, many fear a drawn-out political debate to form a government could spill over into violence and complicate American efforts to speed up troop withdrawals in the coming months.

The country's interior minister, himself a candidate, Thursday called on Iraq's electoral commission to hold off releasing the tally Friday because he fears rivalries between the various political blocs could erupt into violence. That concern has also been echoed by many members of al-Maliki's State of Law coalition, who say they fear the country's Shiite majority could react in outrage if they feel the results aren't what they expect.

Such pronouncements likely reflect a great deal of political posturing and election officials have firmly dismissed calls for a delay or a recount in a vote-tallying process that has dragged on for nearly three weeks since Iraqis went to the polls March 7.

Even so many here fear a return to violence between the country's Sunni and Shiite factions amid the horse-trading that will ramp up in earnest once all results are out.

Al-Maliki's coalition has drawn much of its support from Iraq's Shiite majority and his attempts to appeal to Sunnis were undercut by his support for ban on many Sunni candidates for alleged ties to the previous regime.

The Sunnis largely threw their support behind Allawi's Iraqiya bloc, which while headed by a Shiite, has billed itself as secular.

Iraq's Kurdish faction has long seen itself as a key electoral kingmaker, though followers of radical anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr could also play a pivotal role after garnering a significant number of seats.

"Everybody's talking to everybody," said Michael Hanna, an Iraq analyst with the Century Foundation. "None of these governments make a whole lot of sense in terms of consistent ideologies ... It's all about wielding power."

A senior Sadrist official, Amir Taher al-Kinani, warned Thursday that it is important Allawi's Iraqiya coalition not be sidelined because it represents the Sunni spectrum and excluding the Sunni-dominated bloc could lead to conflict.

"We fear the violent acts and then another unstable four years," he said in an interview.

Friday's announcement will have the full results _ and more importantly, the number of parliamentary seats per bloc.

"The difference between the leader and the second place will be one to two seats," Independent High Electoral Commission chief Faraj al-Haidari told The Associated Press, although he would not say who was ahead.

In the overall tally after 95 percent of the votes counted, al-Maliki's coalition narrowly trails Allawi's bloc. But al-Maliki's coalition is ahead in seven of Iraq's 18 provinces, compared to Allawi's five. The allocation of parliament's seats is based on votes counted per province.

The results must then be ratified by the Supreme Court after which they become final.

Whoever succeeds in forming a government _ a process that could take months _ will be able to reward allies with government ministries and the jobs that go with them. He will also preside over a pivotal moment in Iraq's postwar history: the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

About 95,000 American troops remain, but that number is expected to drop to 50,000 by the end of August under President Barack Obama's plan to remove all combat troops from the country. All American troops are scheduled to leave by the end of 2011.

While the threat of constant, large scale attacks have diminished significantly under al-Maliki's tenure, violence continues to plague Iraq.

In southwestern Baghdad, a bomb killed a commandeer of a Sunni pro-government militia. In an eastern neighborhood, gunmen raided a house, killing a woman and her daughter. And near Suwayrah, south of Baghdad, police found the bullet-riddled body of an unidentified woman.

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Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Katarina Kratovac and Rebecca Santana contributed reporting.

Medvedev: Summit with Obama "first step, but a very important step" to ...

Medvedev: Summit with Obama "first step, but a very important step" to recharging relations.

Cop brawl blamed on 'loudmouth drunks'

Cook County prosecutors said Chicago Police Officer Paul Powers wanted to "open a can of whoop-ass" before he and his wayward Area 4 Gun Team colleagues carried out an "unprovoked ambush" at the Jefferson Tap & Grille.

"Why did they do it? Because they felt like it, judge. That's why," Assistant State's Attorney Lauren Freeman said of the off-duty officers' conduct on Dec. 15, 2006.

But defense attorneys argued Wednesday it was the "loudmouth drunks" who deserve blame in the brawl that led to aggravated-battery charges against Powers, Sgt. Jeffery Planey and Officer Gregory Barnes. Two of the alleged victims, Barry Gilfand and his older brother Aaron, have zero credibility, and their identifications of who attacked them were shaky at best, defense lawyers said during closing arguments of the trial before Judge Thomas Gainer Jr.

"Calling them victims is an insult," said William Fahy, Barnes' attorney. The men lied to bolster their pending civil case against the officers, the defense attorneys said.

Lightfoot admitted that Powers was depressed over his father's recent death and perhaps agitated someone at the bar called him a p - - - - for shedding a tear, but said he was not the "vicious monster" the Gilfands portray.

Freeman countered that Planey, who testified that he was trying to defuse the violence, was looking out for his "baby bear," referring to Powers. "What the evidence shows is that they [officers] were serving themselves, and they were protecting each other," she said.

Gainer is expected to issue a verdict April 24.

British leader Brown, opposition chief trade barbs

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has traded barbs in Parliament with Britain's opposition leader over who can best cut unemployment and control public spending amid the deepest recession in decades.

In a bad-tempered House of Commons question-and-answer session Wednesday, Brown accused David Cameron's Conservatives of planning a 10 percent cut in public services. He said that approach would fuel unemployment _ and accused Cameron of offering "cheap jibes and no policy."

Cameron retorted that Brown was in denial about the need to cut public expenditure. He said there was only one person the Conservatives wanted to see unemployed, "and that is this prime minister."

AT&T Reports 3Q Profit of $3.1 Billion

SAN ANTONIO - AT&T Inc., the nation's largest telecommunications company, on Tuesday reported net income of $3.1 billion in the third quarter, a 42 percent jump from the previous year before its acquisition of BellSouth Corp. was completed.

The profit, which amounted to 50 cents per share, compared with $2.2 billion earned the July-September period last year. The year-earlier earnings worked out to 56 cents a share because the company had fewer shares outstanding.

Revenue nearly doubled to $30.1 billion in the third quarter from $15.6 billion a year earlier.

Excluding costs and accounting effects of major acquisitions, the company's earnings per share would have been 71 cents, in line with what analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected.

Although most of the dramatic quarterly gains were the result of the completed merger, AT&T reported continued growth in its wireless revenue, the segment of the business company executives have said will lead it into the future.

It added 2 million subscribers in the first full quarter since the introduction of Apple Inc.'s iPhone, giving it 65.7 million subscribers total, the report said.

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On the Net:

http://www.att.com

Experts argue firing squad is a humane execution

A condemned inmate's decision to die in a barrage of bullets fired by five unnamed marksmen has been vilified by many as an archaic form of Wild West-style justice.

But some experts argue it is more humane than all other execution methods, without the court challenges of cruelty that have plagued lethal injection.

"Lethal injection, which has the veneer of medical acceptability, has far greater risks of cruelty to a condemned person," said Fordham University Law School professor Deborah Denno, who has written extensively on the constitutional questions that surround execution methods.

The reasons that Ronnie Lee Gardner chose death by firing squad in the state of Utah are unrelated to the drama or controversy it evokes, his attorney told The Associated Press.

"It's not about the publicity. He just prefers it," Andrew Parnes said.

Late Tuesday, Parnes appealed Gardner's case to both the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver and the U.S. Supreme Court, hoping to block the execution. It was the same day Gardner ate what may be his last meal _ steak, lobster tail, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7UP. Utah State Prison officials said Gardner now intends to fast until the execution set for early Friday.

No rulings were issued by either court Wednesday.

Gardner, 49, was sentenced to death for a 1985 capital murder conviction stemming from the fatal courthouse shooting of attorney Michael Burdell during an escape attempt. Gardner was at the court because he faced a murder charge in the shooting death of bartender Melvyn Otterstrom.

Barring any last minute stays, Gardner will be the first person to die by firing squad in the United States in 14 years. He will be the third man killed by that same method in Utah since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling reinstated capital punishment in 1976: Gary Gilmore on Jan. 17, 1977 _ after famously uttering the last words, "Let's do it" _ and John Albert Taylor on Jan. 26, 1996.

Of the 49 executions held in Utah since the 1850s, 40 were by firing squad. The method has also been widely used around the globe and was long the primary method of execution employed by the military, including in the U.S.

But lethal injection has become the primary method used by most of the 35 states that still have capital punishment, according to the Death Penalty Information Center website. Yet it isn't without controversy.

University of Colorado law professor Michael Radlet has been tracking botched executions in the U.S. and found some 42 cases that went wrong between 1982 and September 2009. Of those executions, 30 were lethal injection, 10 were electrocution and two were from asphyxiation after exposure to lethal gas.

A court challenge of lethal injection in Kentucky essentially halted executions nationwide in 2007 as the U.S. Supreme Court grappled with whether a three-drug cocktail was more painful than just a single barbiturate. At the time, Kentucky had only had one execution by lethal injection _ with no complications _ but executions in Ohio and Florida had taken longer than usual and produced strong evidence that inmates had suffered severe pain in the process.

The court upheld Kentucky's use of the three drugs in 2008, clearing the way for capital punishment to resume, Denno said.

The firing squad has not been similarly challenged, and by all accounts, Utah's executions by firing squad were carried out without problems, Denno said.

"Even Gary Gilmore's father said it was a dignified execution," she said.

Utah's territorial government sought permission from the U.S. Supreme Court to use the firing squad back in the 1870s, according to Gillespie. The court said that "execution by shooting was not prohibited by the Eighth Amendment's cruel and unusual punishment clause, in that the method did not entail torture or unnecessary cruelty," Gillespie wrote in his book "The Unforgiven," which chronicles the history of capital punishment in Utah.

Historians say the method stems from 19th Century doctrine of the state's predominant religion. Early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believed in the concept of "blood atonement" _ that only through spilling one's own blood could a condemned person adequately atone for their crimes and be redeemed in the next life. The church no longer preaches such teachings and offers no opinion on the use of the firing squad.

Death penalty advocate Kent Scheidegger agrees that capital punishment should not amount to torture, but says the average person "is not really all that concerned with a murderer experiencing painless death."

Public debate is focused more on the larger issue of the death penalty and whether or not the punishment deters crime.

"Arguing over the method of execution is kind of a distraction," said Scheidegger, legal director of the Sacramento, California, Criminal Justice Legal Foundation.

Religious and secular groups plan prayer vigils and rallies outside the state capitol and the prison in the hours leading up to Gardner's execution.

"If you think about it, how do you kill somebody in a permissible manner?" said Ralph Dellapiana, a co-founder of Utahns for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. "We don't care much about the method, we're of the 'it's all not OK' belief."

The barrage of publicity that follows the firing squad is largely what prompted Utah lawmakers to alter it's capital punishment law in 2004 to disallow the choice for inmates and make lethal injection the default method. Inmates sentenced before then _ like Gardner _ retain the choice.

In repealing the option, Utah lawmakers said they disliked the negative media attention that firing squads focused on the state, said Republican Rep. Sheryl Allen, who twice carried legislation to change the law.

In 1996, more than 150 media outlets descended on Utah to cover Taylor's execution, painting the firing squad as an Old West-style of justice that allows killers to go out in a blaze of glory that embarrasses the state.

Gardner is one of at least four of 10 men on Utah's death row who have said they want to die by firing squad.

Dow Closes Up 5, Nasdaq Finishes Down 20

CHRISTOPHER WANG, AP Business Writer
AP Online
04-22-2006
Dateline: NEW YORK

Traders and specialists work the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange in the morning after the DOW hit a six year high the day before Friday April 21, 2006. (AP Photo/David Karp)

Wall Street gave up early gains and closed mostly lower Friday after oil prices topped $75 a barrel for the first time. The Dow Jones industrial average reached another six-year high on strong earnings from 3M Co., and the major indexes managed gains for the week.

Investors' inflation fears intensified as oil prices climbed to a new record, rising $1.48 to settle at $75.17 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The continued gains in oil, gold and bond yields are keeping inflation worries at the forefront, said Ken Tower, chief market strategist for Schwab's CyberTrader. Evidence of economic growth in next week's reports will renew the debate over when the Federal Reserve might halt its rate tightening.

"The Fed is going to have a hard time stopping their increases if the economy seems to be gaining strength," Tower said. "I think the Fed will have a very hard time talking down the inflation hawks if the data comes in stronger than expected."

The Dow rose 4.56, or 0.04 percent, to 11,347.45, building on Thursday's performance that was its best close since reaching 11,351.30 on Jan. 20, 2000.

Broader stock indicators were lower. The S&P 500 fell 0.18, or 0.01 percent, to 1,311.28, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 19.69, or 0.83 percent, to 2,342.86. An analyst's downgrade of Dell Inc. helped send technology stocks lower.

Bonds edged higher, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipping to 5.01 percent from 5.04 percent late Thursday. The U.S. dollar was mostly lower against other major currencies; gold prices rose and lingered at 25-year highs.

The major indexes ended the week with gains, due largely to the big advance Tuesday after minutes of the Fed's late March meeting showed the central bank was leaning toward ending its interest rate hikes. Inflation data released in subsequent sessions and oil's ascent stifled the market's enthusiasm, but the Dow still rose 1.88 percent, while the S&P 500 index rose 1.72 percent and the Nasdaq gained 0.72 percent.

Analysts say next week's trading will depend on the market's interpretation of the latest government reports, which include first-quarter GDP, employment costs, new home sales and consumer confidence. Earning reports will also continue flowing in.

On Friday, Google Inc.'s earnings pushed its stock up $22.10, or 5.3 percent, to $437.10, but the technology sector stumbled after Citigroup cut computer maker Dell Inc. to "sell" on concerns about slowing growth and weakening margins. EBay Inc. also saw a second day of losses following its lackluster quarter. Dell sank $1.23 to $27.01, and eBay fell $1.68 to $35.09.

Ford Motor Co. posted its biggest deficit in more than four years after taking $1.7 billion of pretax charges from its costly North American restructuring plan. Sales slid 9 percent amid a continued slump in U.S. vehicle demand. Ford fell 63 cents to $7.32.

Dow industrial 3M rose $2.46 to $85.06 after saying its quarterly profit swelled 17 percent on a sturdy rise in sales. The market was also encouraged by 3M's increased outlook.

Fellow Dow component McDonald's Corp. said its earnings dropped 14 percent from the year before, when a tax break boosted its results. However, sales grew 6 percent to top Wall Street estimates. McDonald's slid 48 cents to $34.60.

Drug company Wyeth's profit advanced 4 percent from strong sales of antidepressant Effexor and heartburn medication Protonix. Wyeth climbed 73 cents to $47.50.

Advancing issues led decliners 17 to 15 on the New York Stock Exchange, where final consolidated volume was 2.52 billion shares, down from 2.63 billion Thursday.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 2.55, or 0.33 percent, to 772.12, after spending most of the day in positive territory.

Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 0.5 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.84 percent, Germany's DAX index added 0.52 percent, and France's CAC-40 was higher by 0.88 percent.

___

The Dow Jones industrials ended the week up 209.80, or 1.88 percent, finishing at 11,347.45. The S&P 500 index rose 22.16, or 1.72 percent, to close at 1,311.28.

The Nasdaq gained 16.75, or 0.72 percent, to end at 2,342.86.

The Russell 2000 index closed the week up 21.01, or 2.80 percent, at 772.12.

The Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index _ a free-float weighted index that measures 5,000 U.S. based companies _ ended the week at 13,310.68, up 245.42 points from last week. A year ago, the index was 11,430.48.

___

On the Net:

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

Copyright 2006, AP News All Rights Reserved
Dow Closes Up 5, Nasdaq Finishes Down 20CHRISTOPHER WANG, AP Business Writer
AP Online
04-22-2006
Dateline: NEW YORK

Traders and specialists work the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange in the morning after the DOW hit a six year high the day before Friday April 21, 2006. (AP Photo/David Karp)

Wall Street gave up early gains and closed mostly lower Friday after oil prices topped $75 a barrel for the first time. The Dow Jones industrial average reached another six-year high on strong earnings from 3M Co., and the major indexes managed gains for the week.

Investors' inflation fears intensified as oil prices climbed to a new record, rising $1.48 to settle at $75.17 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The continued gains in oil, gold and bond yields are keeping inflation worries at the forefront, said Ken Tower, chief market strategist for Schwab's CyberTrader. Evidence of economic growth in next week's reports will renew the debate over when the Federal Reserve might halt its rate tightening.

"The Fed is going to have a hard time stopping their increases if the economy seems to be gaining strength," Tower said. "I think the Fed will have a very hard time talking down the inflation hawks if the data comes in stronger than expected."

The Dow rose 4.56, or 0.04 percent, to 11,347.45, building on Thursday's performance that was its best close since reaching 11,351.30 on Jan. 20, 2000.

Broader stock indicators were lower. The S&P 500 fell 0.18, or 0.01 percent, to 1,311.28, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 19.69, or 0.83 percent, to 2,342.86. An analyst's downgrade of Dell Inc. helped send technology stocks lower.

Bonds edged higher, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipping to 5.01 percent from 5.04 percent late Thursday. The U.S. dollar was mostly lower against other major currencies; gold prices rose and lingered at 25-year highs.

The major indexes ended the week with gains, due largely to the big advance Tuesday after minutes of the Fed's late March meeting showed the central bank was leaning toward ending its interest rate hikes. Inflation data released in subsequent sessions and oil's ascent stifled the market's enthusiasm, but the Dow still rose 1.88 percent, while the S&P 500 index rose 1.72 percent and the Nasdaq gained 0.72 percent.

Analysts say next week's trading will depend on the market's interpretation of the latest government reports, which include first-quarter GDP, employment costs, new home sales and consumer confidence. Earning reports will also continue flowing in.

On Friday, Google Inc.'s earnings pushed its stock up $22.10, or 5.3 percent, to $437.10, but the technology sector stumbled after Citigroup cut computer maker Dell Inc. to "sell" on concerns about slowing growth and weakening margins. EBay Inc. also saw a second day of losses following its lackluster quarter. Dell sank $1.23 to $27.01, and eBay fell $1.68 to $35.09.

Ford Motor Co. posted its biggest deficit in more than four years after taking $1.7 billion of pretax charges from its costly North American restructuring plan. Sales slid 9 percent amid a continued slump in U.S. vehicle demand. Ford fell 63 cents to $7.32.

Dow industrial 3M rose $2.46 to $85.06 after saying its quarterly profit swelled 17 percent on a sturdy rise in sales. The market was also encouraged by 3M's increased outlook.

Fellow Dow component McDonald's Corp. said its earnings dropped 14 percent from the year before, when a tax break boosted its results. However, sales grew 6 percent to top Wall Street estimates. McDonald's slid 48 cents to $34.60.

Drug company Wyeth's profit advanced 4 percent from strong sales of antidepressant Effexor and heartburn medication Protonix. Wyeth climbed 73 cents to $47.50.

Advancing issues led decliners 17 to 15 on the New York Stock Exchange, where final consolidated volume was 2.52 billion shares, down from 2.63 billion Thursday.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 2.55, or 0.33 percent, to 772.12, after spending most of the day in positive territory.

Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 0.5 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.84 percent, Germany's DAX index added 0.52 percent, and France's CAC-40 was higher by 0.88 percent.

___

The Dow Jones industrials ended the week up 209.80, or 1.88 percent, finishing at 11,347.45. The S&P 500 index rose 22.16, or 1.72 percent, to close at 1,311.28.

The Nasdaq gained 16.75, or 0.72 percent, to end at 2,342.86.

The Russell 2000 index closed the week up 21.01, or 2.80 percent, at 772.12.

The Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index _ a free-float weighted index that measures 5,000 U.S. based companies _ ended the week at 13,310.68, up 245.42 points from last week. A year ago, the index was 11,430.48.

___

On the Net:

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

Copyright 2006, AP News All Rights Reserved

Soviets lift Sakharov exile // Dissident can live in Moscow

MOSCOW Andrei D. Sakharov, the Soviet physicist who symbolizedthe victims of human rights abuses in the Soviet Union, has beenreleased from a seven-year internal exile in the closed city of Gorkyand will be allowed to return to Moscow with his wife, the Kremlinannounced yesterday.

The surprise announcement about Sakharov, 65, and his wife,Yelena Bonner, 63, was made by Vladimir F. Petrovsky, first deputyforeign minister, at a press conference on nuclear testing plans.

Petrovsky said members of the Supreme Soviet, the nation'sparliament, decided to allow Sakharov and Bonner to return to thecapital because they had been away long enough.

"In particular, …

Muslims, politicians defend Inter Milan coach.

Summary: Italian Politicians and Muslim leaders have sprung to the defense of Jose Mourinho after reported threats were made against the Inter Milan coach on extremist websites.

British newspaper Daily

Italian Politicians and Muslim leaders have sprung to the defense of Jose Mourinho after reported threats were made against the Inter Milan coach on extremist websites.

British newspaper Daily Star claimed that death threats had been made against Mourinho on some Islamic sites following comments the Portuguese made relating to the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. Last week Mourinho had explained his early substitution of Ghana's Muntari Sulley against …

LIVER REPAIR STUDY OFFERS HOPE.(MAIN)

Byline: Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Genetic manipulation of liver cells is pointing toward a promising new therapy that one day might offer hope for the 20 million Americans who suffer from liver disease.

Laboratory experiments that restored normal function in rats that had lost 90 percent of their livers suggest that the genetic manipulation of cells grown in test tubes could rejuvenate failing liver functions.

The study, to be published in the journal Science, found a way to grow millions of liver cells, called hepatocytes, and then transplant them into rats that had virtually no liver function.

The new liver cells took over the job of …