Man accused of smuggling more than 10 percent of an entire species 

 

 A man was arrested at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok after authorities say they discovered he was attempting to claim a piece of luggage full of extremely rare tortoises.

Traffic.org, a self-described wildlife trade monitoring network, reports that the man is accused of trying to pick up 54 ploughshare tortoises. "The wild population of Ploughshare Tortoises, considered among the rarest species in the world, is estimated to be as few as 400 individuals, and is declining fast," according to the site. As Popular Science points out, the man is accused of attempting to smuggle more than 10 percent of the entire species.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has classified the ploughshares tortoise as critically endangered.
The piece of luggage had been registered to a woman who was arrested as well, according to reports. In addition to the 54 ploughshare tortoises, 21 radiated tortoises, also endangered, were being smuggled, authorities say. They believe the tortoises were going to be sold as pets.

Ships Costing U.S. $37 Billion Lack Firepower, Navy Told 

 

The U.S. Navy’s troubled Littoral Combat Ship, a vessel intended to be small and speedy for use in shallow waters close to shore, lacks the firepower it needs, a top U.S. navy commander said in a classified memo.

Vice Admiral Tom Copeman, the commander of naval surface forces, called on the Navy to consider a ship with more offensive capability after the first 24 vessels are built, according to a Navy official who asked not to be identified discussing the confidential document.

Copeman’s memo, prepared late last year at the request of Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations, indicates the Navy may be starting to re-examine the $37 billion program. The ship has been beset by troubles, including cracks and corrosion, its price has doubled since 2005 to $440 million per vessel and a decision to build two versions will add to longterm operating costs.

A review could lead to an eventual redesign of the ship or the development of an entirely new vessel.

“He’s raising issues which no one with active-duty stars on their shoulders has said before,” said Norman Polmar, an independent naval analyst and author who’s spoken to Navy officials about Copeman’s memo. “He’s not playing the total party line. I think it will have an impact on people expressing their views.”

Producing a ship that can accommodate larger guns or Harpoon anti-ship missiles “would be a major redesign,” Polmar said in an interview. “It will be real work to put major weapons on the ship.”

Two Versions

The two versions of the Littoral Combat Ship -- derided by critics inside the Navy as the “Little Crappy Ship”-- are being built simultaneously.

A steel-hulled vessel is being made in Marinette, Wisconsin, by a team led by Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), and an aluminum trimaran is being built in Mobile, Alabama, by a group led by Austal Ltd. Lockheed’s first ship developed a crack in the hull, and Austal’s vessel had corrosion problems.

Conceived in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the ship was designed to replace aging frigates and other vessels. It’s intended to perform missions such as clearing mines, hunting submarines, interdicting drugs and providing humanitarian relief.

Nothing has haunted the LCS more than the perception that both variants are too lightly armed and may not survive an enemy attack. The Pentagon’s chief weapons tester has cited flaws with the ship’s guns and concluded that its helicopter isn’t powerful enough to tow mine-hunting equipment.

Not ‘Survivable’

The ship “is not expected to be survivable in that it is not expected to maintain mission capability after taking a significant hit in a hostile combat environment,” Michael Gilmore, the weapons tester, said in a January report.

Until now, Navy officials have maintained that the ship has sufficient defenses to perform its missions while working in tandem with the rest of a battle group.

“These ships are designed for speed,” Rear Admiral Tom Eccles, deputy commander for naval systems engineering at the Naval Sea Systems Command, said at a Surface Navy Association conference in January. “They’re designed to be in the fight and then get out of the fight when it’s required.”

Copeman’s assessment suggests that the Navy may rethink that strategy. In a speech at the same Navy association conference, Copeman spoke publicly about the possibility of creating a “Super LCS,” likening it to the evolution in fighter jets from the F/A-18 Hornet to the Super Hornet. The newer plane is a larger version of the aircraft built by Chicago-based Boeing Co. (BA), with longer range and more endurance than its predecessor.

‘We’re Out-Gunned’

The vice admiral’s memo calls for a vessel that can operate independently rather than traveling under the protection of better-armed ships, according to a government official familiar with the document who isn’t in the Navy and asked to not be identified.

“It’s born of this nagging fear in the surface warfare community and elsewhere that we’re out-gunned by the Chinese, who have a series of surface-to-surface missiles,” said Bryan McGrath, a retired naval officer who commanded a destroyer.

Outfitting the LCS with heavy-duty missiles or guns would add weight, and “additional weight means a loss in both speed and endurance,” said McGrath, a critic of the Littoral Combat Ship who is director of consulting at Delex Systems Inc. in Herndon, Virginia.

‘Thoughtful Look’

The Navy projects that the $37 billion program will buy 52 ships. Of those, four have been built and the Navy has agreed to buy 20 more through 2015.

“We’re committed to 52 LCS’s,” Captain Danny Hernandez, chief spokesman for Greenert, the chief of naval operations, said when asked about Copeman’s memo.

Lockheed, based in Bethesda, Maryland, is building its Littoral Combat Ships in partnership with Marinette Marine Corp., a subsidiary of Fincantieri SpA, based in Trieste, Italy. The other version is made by Austal, based in Henderson, Australia, in partnership with Falls Church, Virginia-based General Dynamics Corp. (GD).

Greenert requested the memo from Copeman, which was entitled “Vision for the 2025 Surface Fleet” and was previously reported by Defense News. The comments on the LCS are three paragraphs in a 10-page document on the future of the Navy’s surface fleet.

“He appreciated the thoughtful look he gave into the future,” Hernandez said of Greenert’s reaction to the memo. He said the Navy chief considered Copeman’s proposals to be “interesting and useful.”

‘Offensive Power’

Those who have read Copeman’s recommendation offered differing interpretations of the changes he envisions. While the Navy official who asked to not be identified said the current LCS designs could be revised, the other government official said the proposed changes would amount to developing a new type of ship.

“There’s inexpensive ways, less expensive ways, to dramatically increase the offensive power of our surface fleet, I think, without spending hundred, tens and tens of millions of dollars on research and development and come up with new classes of ships,” Copeman said in the January speech, according to a transcript. “I think we can look at what we’ve got, and what we’ve got on the drawing boards right now, and take great advantage of that.”

Two Versions

Copeman’s memo didn’t discuss whether one of the two current designs should be scrapped or whether just one version should be used as the base model for future improvements, the Navy official said.

Building both versions of the ship, which have different designs and parts, adds about $400 million in operating and maintenance costs over the lifetime of the vessels, according to Rear Admiral James Murdoch, who oversees the ship’s procurement.


The LCS program is “in a period of steady production and has demonstrated the maturity of most of its critical technologies,” according to an annual assessment of major weapons programs released today by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress.

The GAO raised questions about the effectiveness of the ship’s “mission modules,” portable containers of weapons systems that can be switched for different missions.

The modules the Navy has accepted so far “do not yet meet requirements,” and the first ones won’t be fully operational until 2018, when the Navy will have purchased 30 ships, the GAO said.

“The mission packages aren’t ready,” said Polmar, the naval analyst. “We’ve got the least capable 3,000-ton warship in the world.”

Shooting suspect James Holmes offers to plead guilty 

 

 The man jailed in the Aurora, Colo., movie theater massacre is willing to plead guilty to avoid being executed, according to a court motion filed on Wednesday.

The offer from James Holmes, who is charged with shooting 70 moviegoers last July, killing 12, means he would spend life in prison without parole.
News of the offer comes five days before prosecutors were scheduled to announce whether they will seek the death penalty in the case.
"The prosecution at this time has not accepted that offer because it may choose to pursue the death penalty. Consequently, it appears the only impediment to a resolution of this case would be if the prosecution chooses to seek the death penalty," defense attorneys wrote in the motion, which was published online by the Denver Post. "If the prosecution elects not to pursue the death penalty, it is Mr. Holmes' position that this case could be resolved April 1."
“Yes!” shooting victim Marcus Weaver shouted when Yahoo News told him of Holmes' offer.
Weaver's right shoulder was peppered with gunshot pellets when the heavily armed assailant burst in and opened fire during a midnight showing of the Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises." Rebecca Wingo, one of his best friends, died in the attack.
"Admitting to what he did is doing us all a favor," Weaver said on Wednesday. "Without a long, drawn-out trial, then we can move forward. As a community, it would bring about more healing."
According to the motion, defense attorneys made the plea offer prior to the suspect's arraignment earlier this month. If prosecutors reject the offer, "counsel will vigorously present and argue any and all appropriate defenses at a trial or sentencing proceeding, as necessary," Holmes' lawyers wrote.
During Holmes' arraignment on March 12, his lead attorney, Daniel King, told Judge William Sylvester that the suspect wasn't prepared to enter a plea because the defense wasn't sure if the prosecution planned to seek the death penalty. Knowing that could alter Holmes' plea and significantly alter how the defense moves forward, King explained.
The judge then entered a plea of not guilty on Holmes' behalf and noted that the defense would have the opportunity to change its plea at a later date.
The prosecution has repeatedly sought input from victims and victims' families on major decisions. Weaver said late on Wednesday that he had not yet heard from the district attorney's office, but he predicted they would be calling soon.

Disabled man gets $8,000 after being stuck on Disney's 'Small World' ride for hours

 

 An attorney says a disabled man was awarded $8,000 by Disneyland after the "It's A Small World" ride broke down, stranding him for a half hour while the theme song played continuously. Lawyer David Geffen says Jose Martinez didn't medically stabilize for three hours after the ride broke down in 2009.
Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said the Anaheim theme park believes it provided appropriate assistance during the incident, and is disappointed that the court did not fully agree.
Geffen says Martinez uses a wheelchair, suffers from panic attacks and high blood pressure, which was aggravated by a need to urinate.
Geffen says half the award ordered Friday is for pain and suffering, and the rest is for disability law violations. Brown says the violations have been addressed.

Teen Hits Police Car, Foils Alleged Kidnapping 

 

The quick thinking of a New Jersey teen may have saved her from a kidnapping: She steered a car she allegedly was forced to drive into a police vehicle to alert authorities she was being held against her will.

The teenager was forced into the car in her hometown of Wildwood, N.J., by Floribert Nava, 45, who had a history with the teen, according to Cape May County Prosecutor Robert Taylor.
"It was a dispute over the adoption of a recently born child," Taylor said.
The child had already been adopted by a family in Philadelphia, but Nava was intent on having the child for herself, so she forced the teen into the car using an "airsoft" pistol, Taylor said.
Airsoft pistols do not shoot standard bullets, instead discharging small plastic pellets that can pierce the skin at close range. Many airsoft pistols are indistinguishable from conventional firearms, officials said, something that apparently aided Nava during the alleged kidnapping.
After getting the teen into the car, Nava compelled her to drive and, according to Taylor, spent more than 90 minutes with her in the car as they made their way to Philadelphia.
Nava allegedly picked Philadelphia because it was the location of the baby's adoptive family, The Associated Press reported.
Things apparently took a turn, however, as the car neared the City of Brotherly Love.
Upon reaching the 9,500-foot span of the Ben Franklin Bridge, the teen turned the wheel of the vehicle into a Delaware River Port Authority police car that was parked on the bridge assisting a stranded motorist, according to the prosecutor's office.
After the car she was driving came to a stop, the teen leaped from the driver's side door and got the attention of Officer Mark Pawloski, who put Nava under arrest, the prosecutor's office said.
A search of the car revealed a bag containing duct tape, trash bags and latex gloves, in addition to the airsoft gun, officials added.
Nava has been charged with kidnapping in the first degree, a charge that can carry 10 to 20 years in prison, and three other crimes -- terroristic threats in the third degree, possession of a weapon in the third degree and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in the third degree.
Nava remained behind bars today and officials did not believe she had retained an attorney. She will be arraigned Wednesday via videoconference.
The Cape May County Prosecutor's Office was unable to comment on the current disposition of the teen.

Apollo mission rocket engines recovered 

  

  

A set of giant rocket engines that once propelled astronauts to space have now been recovered from the icy depths of the Atlantic, say a team of researchers led by Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos four decades after they splashed into the ocean.
“What an incredible adventure,” Bezos posted on his website from onboard his recovery ship off the Florida coast.
“We found so much,” the billionaire adventurer says. “We’ve seen an underwater wonderland – an incredible sculpture garden of twisted F-1 engines that tells the story of a fiery and violent end, one that serves testament to the Apollo program.”
Photos show workers pulling the rusty rocket parts the size of a small car from 14,000 feet down up to the deck of the boat.
F-1 engines powered the Saturn V rocket carrying Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, along with other space shots. But the engines were ejected after takeoff and considered destroyed or lost forever.
Bezos said in 2012 that he planned to recover those specific engines. However, he noted in his most recent update, "Many of the original serial numbers are missing or partially missing, which is going to make mission identification difficult. We might see more during restoration."
Each of the engines weighs nearly 9 tons, and they came in a cluster of five. They provided 32 million horsepower by burning 6,000 pounds of fuel every second, and the five together put the largest rocket in history 38 miles up in under three minutes.
After doing their work, the rockets plummeted into the ocean at 5,000 miles per hour, where they have been undiscovered for four decades until Bezos found them using sophisticated sonar and digging for clues through history.
Robert Pearlman, a space memorabilia expert who runs CollectSpace.com calls the discovery “the space enthusiast equivalent of raising the Titanic.”
Pearlman said there were a total of 65 of these engines launched but warned that if the serial numbers can’t be found on the rockets as Bezos indicates, it may be impossible to authenticate which actual mission they were used for.
Bezos said that watching that original mission as a 5-year-old in 1969 inspired him to dream big, and now he wants to undertake the huge challenge of pulling the engines up.
It was even a bit like a space expedition, the e-commerce titan says.
“The buoyancy of the ROVs looks every bit like microgravity. The blackness of the horizon. The gray and colorless ocean floor. Only the occasional deep sea fish broke the illusion.”
The Saturn V engines could be priceless historically, but hard to put a cash value on. Pearlman noted that the highest price paid for a piece of space memorabilia was $2 million, paid by a Russian investor for a Soviet-era Vostok rocket.
"F1 Components have sold for a few hundred to thousands of dollars, but they were all spare parts for that never flew,” says Pearlman.
But profits don't seem to be behind Bezos' quest to find the F-1 engines. The rocket engines remain property of NASA and the U.S. government, and Bezos has indicated that he would like to pull the engines to the surface and then have NASA put them on display at a museum in Seattle.
Pearlman says he’ll be the first in line to see them on display.
“I am just encouraged that Bezos has indicated that he’d like to display these in their current twisted and beautiful shape and not try to bang all the dents and history out of them.”

Colorado prison chief's death probe extends to Texas police chase 

 

 Colorado authorities are working to determine whether a high-speed chase Thursday involving a man who shot repeatedly at law enforcement officers in Texas is related to this week's shooting death of Tom Clements, Colorado's prison chief.

The chase and crash occurred in north Texas, about 700 miles from where Clements was killed Tuesday night. It began around 11 a.m. CT (noon ET) in Montague County, where the driver of a black Cadillac shot at a law enforcement officer who had pulled him over in a traffic stop, said Wise County, Texas, Sheriff David Walker.

Two bullets struck the Montague County deputy, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, in the chest and another grazed his head before he managed to call in help, said the sheriff. He is in serious condition at a Dallas-Fort Worth area hospital.

This incident was followed by a high-speed chase that ended around 30 miles away in Decatur, Texas. That's where city police tried to pull him over, and the Cadillac's driver fled and started shooting at officers. The suspect shot one patrol vehicle and that of Decatur police Chief Rex Hoskins, whose car was parked in the median.

"I would say he was running about 100 mph, and he had his left arm out the window and he was just shooting," Hoskins said.

Soon after that, the man turned his Cadillac onto another road and slammed into an 18-wheel truck, according to Walker. Even with the front of his car crushed, the suspect -- who has not been publicly identified -- got out and resumed shooting.

He did not shoot any responding officers in the Wise County exchange, but was shot himself.

After being kept alive on machines for some time, the suspect died Thursday evening, according to Walker.

The Cadillac had two different Colorado license plates -- one on the front and the other on the back -- said Hoskins. A law enforcement official said Thursday that authorities are "are taking a strong look" at whether Thursday's incident and Clements' shooting are linked.

"Colorado is sending ... investigators that are working on that case and other homicide cases in the Colorado area," Walker said.

Saudi national's case considered in probe

The Texas incident comes the same day that Colorado investigators said they were looking closely at one criminal of the thousands that Clements' oversaw in the state's prison system -- a Saudi national named Homaidan al-Turki.

El Paso County, Colorado, Undersheriff Paula Presley on Thursday acknowledged the media speculation over al-Turki, who was convicted of sexually assaulting his housemaid at his Aurora, Colorado, home seven years ago. Earlier this month, Clements denied al-Turki's request to serve the remainder of his Colorado prison sentence in Saudi Arabia, records show.

Investigators, she said, are still trying to determine whether "there may have been some motivation or legitimate threat" related to al-Turki's case, adding that "we have not identified that specifically as a threat."

Al-Turki, now at the Limon Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison after being convicted on a dozen counts of sexual contact, theft, extortion and false imprisonment in 2006, a state document shows. Prosecutors said he enslaved his Indonesian maid for several years.

Photos of a firey crash scene in Texas after a high speed chase that may be related to the shooting death of Tom Clements, Colorado's prison chief.

At the request of the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers traveled to Riyadh in 2006 to meet with King Abdullah, other Saudi officials and the al-Turki family to discuss the case.

Manhunt on for gunman in Colorado

Clements explained in a March 11 letter to al-Turki that he was turning down his transfer request because al-Turki had refused to go through sex offender treatment, as required by law.

Prison chief a 'dedicated servant'

"To date you have reportedly declined due to religious reasons/conflicts with your Islamic faith," Clements wrote.

The letter also notes that on February 25, 2011, al-Turki's sentence was reduced to six years to life.

 received no response to its requests for comment from al-Turki's lawyers.

In light of the renewed attention on his case, al-Turki was removed this week from the rest of his prison's population, according to the state's department of corrections.

Late prisons chief described as 'amazing man'

Clements had been chief of Colorado's prison system for a little over two years. He took the job in January 2011 after working for 31 years as part of Missouri's Department of Corrections.

In his time in Colorado, he'd made a big impression.

"He was an amazing man, an amazing man," Alison Morgan, spokeswoman for Colorado's Department of Corrections, said Thursday. "An inspirational leader."

He was killed around 8:45 p.m. MT (10:45 p.m. ET) Tuesday, as he answered the door of his Monument, Colorado, home.

Since then, investigators had said they knew very little about who might have pulled the trigger.

Some witnesses, though, said they saw a man driving a vehicle -- possibly a Lincoln Continental or a two-door Cadillac -- away from the neighborhood a short time after the shooting. Others reported seeing a black, boxy vehicle with its engine running but no one inside on Clements' street.

Asked Thursday whether the prison chief's killing may have been a professional hit, Presley from the El Paso County, Colorado, Sheriff's Office said, "We don't have any specific information that would lead us to that."

The central Colorado county sheriff office's major crimes unit has received more than 100 solid tips about the incident, including a growing number of witnesses describing a black car then in the area.

Meanwhile, the mourning continues for Clements. His funeral will be held Sunday, Gov. John Hickenlooper's office said, and he'll be remembered at a public memorial service in Colorado Springs the next day.

This alarm clock app is like no other

  

If you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, a new app called Wake N Shake Alarm Clock ($1.99) might just be what the (sleep) doctor ordered.

What makes this app unique -- compared the hundreds of other alarm clocks at the App Store -- begins with how you need to turn off the alarm.
Quite simply, you need to shake the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to turn it off.
If you're a morning person, you might opt for the reasonably short and sweet "Milk Shake" or "Piñata" shake setting. These only require a half dozen or so shakes for the red bar to rise to the top of the screen and turn off the sound effect or music.
But those who have a hard time lifting their head off the pillow might choose the "Cold Shower" or "Dream Killer" settings that require a lot more shakes to turn off the dreaded alarm. The meanest shake setting, called "Merciless," doesn't even have a snooze option. Ouch.
Along with the ability to select a song from your library, you can also choose a sound effect to wake up to -- including the bomb- and bullet-filled "Private Ryan," the annoying "Squeaky Toy," or the maniacal "Evil Laugh," to name a few.
But Wake N Shake Alarm Clock is also a "gamified" app, as you can earn points for waking up quickly and/or early, unlock achievements (rewards) and compete with friends on Facebook to be the wake-up queen or king of the week (the one with the most shake points wins).
Facebook integration is optional, of course, but the app pairs you up with other Wake N Shake Alarm Clock users. The app developer, Andres Canella, says they do not collect, analyze or share this data.
The app's interface is very intuitive, employing a 4-way swipe mechanic to activate or deactivate an alarm, set a countdown timer for a quick nap or tweak the sound effects, shake duration or music selection.
While the Wake N Shake Alarm Clock rocks -- and a real treat for those who snagged it for free during a temporary promotion in mid-January -- be aware the app has to be running on screen for it to work. This is due to an iOS limitation that affects all third-party alarm clock apps.

Two women caught on tape abusing Seals at a California beach brings national spotlight on animal abuse 

he images of seals being harassed on a California beach are perplexing and disturbing.

In the middle of the night, two women sit on harbor seals, kick them or pull their flippers, all the while snapping flash pictures. The animals eventually flee into the water.

A newly installed video camera captures that attack and others on the seals, who have been using the beach at Children's Pool in La Jolla for decades.

Sara Wan of the Western Alliance for Nature said her organization installed the camera after years of people who are opposed to the seals' presence on the beach being cruel to the animals, trying to scare them off the sand.

A woman is seen harassing a seal in California.

"One of the things we found with the camera is it shows what we knew was going on before," she says. "Now people are seeing what is going on and saying, 'You're right, that's wrong.'"

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner placed a sunset to sunrise curfew on the beach, saying people can disagree about how a beach should be used, but they cannot abuse animals, CNN affilate KGTV reported. The restrictions end May 15 after pupping season is over.

The beach was a popular spot for parents to take their children for a safe place to swim, but harbor seals took over the beach in the early 1990s, KGTV said. Beach-access advocates want the area returned to its original use, the station reported.

Because most cases of animal abuse or neglect are never reported, it is difficult to say whether the number of incidents are increasing.

But with enhanced technology and social media, some of the most egregious cases have recently caught the attention of the media.

There were cases where people apparently were ignorant of the law, such as the woman in Florida who rode a manatee, and other more serious ones where people showed wanton disregard for wildlife, as in the case of two sea birds found struggling to breathe after someone forced beer cans over their heads.

In December, at least 10 dead dolphins washed up on beaches in the Gulf Coast. Some were shot, while others were stabbed.

It makes you wonder, what is wrong with people?

"I really don't understand how someone can be deliberately cruel to an animal like that. It's really baffling," says Sharon Young, marine issues field director with the Humane Society of the United States. "They know it's illegal, they know it's wrong."

Studies have shown that people who have little or no empathy for animals often have none for other humans, activists say.

Animal cruelty is a crime that mostly goes unreported. A 1997 report from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says that only 40% of people who witness abuse ever report it.

The same study found people who committed violent crimes against animals were five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans than were other people who lived in the same neighborhoods.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, there are three reasons people abuse animals.

Most people, the ASPCA says on its website devoted to children, "don't think about or realize what they are doing." Take, for instance, the pet owner who doesn't understand how cruel it is to tie a pet up all day on a chain that is too short.

Another type of abuser is the person who is bowing to peer pressure. In those cases, the person, usually someone young, doesn't hurt or harass animals but a few times. Eventually, they learn to feel for the animal, the organization says.

The third category is people who enjoy hurting animals. These people are often looking to demonstrate their power, the ASPCA says.

Sometimes, people feel they are at odds with the wildlife, Young says.

It's a clash, where a growing human population wants the same space as the animal population, Wan says. The pressure is growing.

"And more and more we are taking it out on wildlife," she says.

Both Wan and Young agree that there isn't a problem with the legal penalties for animal cruelty, but with catching and convicting the bad guys.

"We don't need stronger laws, but clearly there is a need for stronger enforcement," Young says. "We need to make proverbial examples of some people."

Her organization works with groups to educate the public. In the case of the seals, the cruelty has "accelerated so rapidly" that activists are scrambling to do something, she said. They hope to create a video that draws attention to the problem.

For now, she and Wan hope the beach closure will help give the seals a respite from the types of incidents caught on camera.

Leap jumps to capture next step in motion control

'Reach in' to your computer screen: Leap Motion aims to capture next step in motion control 

 

 In a bustling tent set up in a parking lot here at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival, people are pointing their hands and gesturing with chopsticks as they guide various actions on a dozen computer screens.

Some of the sharpest minds in technology have gathered in Austin, Texas, to ponder the ever-connected nature of the modern world. A big theme this year focuses on how to create more seamless interactions between people and technology, finding ways to control devices that go beyond mice, trackpads and touchscreens.

That's where the Leap Motion computer controller comes in. It's the gadget's first public appearance. On display are popular games such as the fruit-chopping "Fruit Ninja," and a more challenging one involving a maze. One man paints a picture by moving his fingers a few inches from a computer screen.

Greg Dziem, who works in data management in Austin, is using the controller to play the maze game. "It's pretty sensitive," he says. "You have to go slow. You have to be calm, steady."

The best-known motion controller to date has been Microsoft Corp.'s Kinect, which is used primarily for video games. People stand at least six feet from the device, which is usually mounted on or near a TV set. Cameras in the Kinect track users' movements and transmit them to the computer. But while Kinect is meant for living rooms and dancing games, Leap Motion is designed for people to use while seated and moving their hands just a few inches from the screens of laptops and personal computers.

"The technology was born out of the deep frustration of interacting with computers," says CEO and co-founder Michael Buckwald. While computers are "vastly different" than they were 30 years ago, he says, the way people interact with them hasn't really evolved.

Leap hopes to change that, allowing people to use natural hand movements to control games, complete office tasks, paint, create 3-D objects, and edit music and video. Leap's creators don't like to use the word "gesture" because that implies a set of pre-determined hand movements to control the screen. Instead, they like to think of their technology as more seamless than that.

Buckwald talks about the barrier that exists between computers and their users and says the best way to get rid of it is to harness "people's natural ability to interact" with the machine.
"Every day we reach out and grab things," he says. "It's very natural, but very complicated. We want people to reach into the computer."
Using Leap may take a little getting used to, if only because people who are accustomed to touchscreens may be tempted to poke at the monitor instead of sweeping and flicking their hands a few inches away from it.
In a demonstration, Leap's vice president of product marketing, Michael Zagorsek, showed off a yet-to-be named photo application that lets people browse through the photos on their computer using Leap. In another app, users can strum on-screen strings to make music. A demo-only program designed to show Leap's properties lets users mold a piece of virtual clay using their hands and a chopstick. There was no noticeable lag between the off-screen action and the on-screen movement.
The device itself is a bit longer and narrower than a matchbox. It works using three infrared LED lights and two cameras to track users' hands. It plugs into a PC or a Mac and sits between the user and the keyboard.
The controllers will cost $80 and will be sold in Best Buy stores beginning on May 19. San Francisco-based Leap will have an app store, called Airspace, with free and paid apps available in areas that range from gaming to 3-D modeling to travel to business and finance.

Boxer combats cyberbullying by tracking down his Twitter bully

  

Boxer Curtis Woodhouse lived out the private fantasy of countless athletes on Monday, forcing a confrontational Twitter tormentor to back down by turning up at his house.

Woodhouse, a former professional soccer player in his native United Kingdom, snapped upon receiving a series of taunting tweets from a user named "The Master" after losing his English lightweight title to Shayne Singleton in a controversial bout last weekend.

"Whats funny u put so much effort in, sacrificed all that time and failed to defend your Mickey Mouse title," was one of the more palatable messages from the @jimmyob88 handle, part of a stream of rants laced with offensive language.

Curtis Woodhouse tweeted this photo of the road where his cyberbully lives. (@Woodhousecurtis)Yet the keyboard warrior soon had the wind taken out of his sails when Woodhouse apparently tracked down the user's address and drove to his street, believed to be in Sheffield in the northern English county of Yorkshire.

Upon his arrival, Woodhouse tweeted a photograph of the street sign, stating: "Right Jimbob, I'm here! Someone tell me what number he lives at, or do I have to knock on every door."
At that point the clearly (and understandably) flustered Twitter "troll" decided discretion was the better part of valor, and hastily retreated into a neutral corner of cyberspace, offering a series of apologetic messages and insisting his taunts were merely intended in jest.
Woodhouse took his leave and it is understood that the pair never met face to face, but by the time the fighter had returned home his actions had gone viral on the Internet.
The extraordinary exchange prompted a flood of social media attention for the 32-year-old, who turned his back on soccer at the age of 26 after becoming disillusioned with the sport, despite earning a significantly higher salary than he subsequently managed in boxing.
Former world champion boxer Ricky Hatton messaged Woodhouse to voice his amusement, as did notorious English soccer player Joey Barton, who now plays for Marseille in France. Barton, who has routinely become involved in Twitter arguments in the past, went so far as to describe Woodhouse as "my hero."
Followers even likened his vigilante approach to that of actor Liam Neeson in the somewhat painful "Taken" movies that remarkably avoided the Oscars radar.
Ever since Twitter became part of the culture of modern sports, athletes have lamented their susceptibility to unfettered abuse, with pro tennis player Rebecca Marino citing cyberbullying as a major reason behind her retirement at the age of 22.
Woodhouse took a more confrontational approach that might not be to everyone's taste, though given his antagonist's trembling reaction it seems unlikely that he will be troubled by the same source again.
On a personal note, this is not only one of the more unusual stories I have written, but also one of the most surprising. I dealt with Woodhouse on several occasions during his soccer career and he always came across as being especially mild-mannered, to the extent that it was a major surprise when his change of career became known.
But it goes to show that everyone has their limit – and that a professional fighter might not be the most sensible target for aspiring Twitter tormentors

World's biggest mall a China 'ghost town'

 

New South China Mall in Guangdong Province opened in 2005. With 5 million square feet of shopping area, the mall can accommodate 2,350 stores, making it the largest shopping center in the world in terms of leasable space -- more than twice the size of Mall of America, the biggest shopping center in the United States.

At the outdoor plaza, hundreds of palm-trees blend with a replica Arc de Triomphe, a giant Egyptian sphinx, fountains and long-stretching canals with gondolas.

Only problem is, the mall is virtually deserted. Despite the bombastic design and grand plans, only a handful of stores are occupied. "Most of it empty, with little consumer traffic and a high vacancy rate," according to a report last year by Emporis, a global building data firm. "It has been classified as a 'dead mall.'"

Walking among shattered shops -- its dusty corridors and escalators covered in soiled sheets -- is a walk through a ghost mall. Rubbish piles up along the sides, paint is coming off the walls and store signs and advertisements have faded.

The mall's indoor amusement park, staff lay half asleep over counters or kill time chatting with each other while the 1,814-foot rollercoaster roars above.

Opened for the public in 2005, developers expected to attract some 100,000 visitors a day. But eight years later, the few people that visit the mall today typically hang out at the American fast food restaurants near the entrance or at the IMAX cinema outside the mall. Some parents bring their children to the Teletubbies Edutainment Center.

Part of the problem is location. Dongguan is a factory town and most of its almost 10 million inhabitants are migrant workers struggling to make ends meet. "People coming here to work in factories don't have the time or the money for shopping or the rollercoaster," said a migrant worker in his 20s, surnamed Xiao, who works at the mall.

The deserted mall is also a symbol of China's rapid urbanization and runaway investment in real estate projects, where massive development projects have been given the go ahead without proper marketing and business research.

"To me, many of these projects are a result of easy access to capital and a combination of wishful thinking and speculative behavior rather than rational business calculations," said Victor Teo, assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong.

"This mall is not the only one that is like that. Elsewhere in China there is the phenomenon of 'Ghost Towns', that is to say infrastructure projects, both residential and commercial, with no takers."

The credit boom of post-financial crisis stimulus has resulted in a proliferation of empty commercial developments and apartments built on rampant speculation. Yet why is the Chinese economy still moving at a brisk 7% to 8% growth rate?

"What China did in the stimulus credit boom is create a lot of `ghost cities': projects without a strong commercial foundation, and projects that didn't get done," wrote Jonathan Anderson in a research note entitled "Hurray for Ghost Cities" from Emerging Advisors Group last month. "What happens next?

"In most of the economy ... nothing. You haven't created a lot of new productive capacity; you're not driving down profits and returns in manufacturing and services, and you've left plenty of room for a rebound in the market-oriented property space.

"Rather, for all intents and purposes you just took the money and poured it down a black hole," Anderson wrote. And the Chinese banking system "has surprisingly little trouble absorbing that bad debt."

But while the macroeconomic juggernaut of China marches on, there remain regional areas of woe. Dongguan is facing mounting problems as factories close down and manufacturing moves to other cities in China and abroad which offer cheaper labor.

Still, the mall has plans to boost the number of tenants, said Ye Ji Ning, head of New South China Mall's investment unit. He claims the mall has a 20% occupancy rate measured by commercial area, although Ye declined to give specifics when challenged on that number. The company's goal is to increase occupancy to 80% in 2013, he said.

"From March onwards we will have big promotional activities in order to reach our new leasing targets," Ye said.

It's not the first time the owners try to blow life into the sleeping giant. The mall was initially headed by Dongguan native Alex Hu Guirong, who became a billionaire in the instant noodle business, and later sold to the Founders Group, a conglomerate set up by Peking University.

In a 2007 relaunch, the mall changed name from "South China Mall" to "New South China Mall, Living City" and a revitalization plan was drawn up. But after the relaunch, neither shoppers nor tenants came.

Fierce brawl starts at Canada's 10-3 win over Mexico

 
 A little bunt single turned this WBC matchup into a World Boxing Classic.
Alfredo Aceves and several players threw nasty punches when a fierce, full-scale brawl broke out in the ninth inning Saturday of Canada's 10-3 romp over Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, a melee that also involved fans and set off skirmishes in the seats.

''Whoever says that we're just here as an extra spring training game or we're just here to say we represented our country and then go home obviously didn't see how intense that game was and what it means to everybody that was involved,'' Canadian slugger Justin Morneau said.

Multiple fights erupted after Canada's Rene Tosoni was hit in the back by a pitch from Arnold Leon with the score 9-3 at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. It quickly turned into a wild scene, as chaotic as any on a major league field in recent years.
Even when the fisticuffs ended, Canadian pitching coach Denis Boucher was hit in the face by a full water bottle thrown from the crowd. Canada shortstop Cale Iorg angrily threw the bottle back into the crowd.
Several police officers came onto the field trying to restore order, and there were a few skirmishes in the decidedly pro-Mexico crowd of 19,581. Seven players were ejected after umpires huddled, trying to sort out the frenzy.
Canadian first base coach Larry Walker, a former NL MVP, said he held back Mexico star Adrian Gonzalez during the altercation. The solidly built Walker also tried to restrain Aceves.
''I had a hold of him and I thought I saw Satan in his eyes,'' Walker said.
There had already been several borderline plays on the bases when things got out of hand. A bunt hit by Chris Robinson heightened the tension - a WBC tiebreaker relies heavily on runs and the Canadians wanted to score again in the ninth. Third baseman Luis Cruz fielded Robinson's bunt and seemed to tell Leon to hit the next batter.
Managers from both teams blamed the tiebreaking rule that uses run differential to determine what team moves on to the next round.
''It was just simply a misunderstanding,'' Mexico manager Rick Renteria said. ''In a normal setting, a normal professional setting I should say, a 9-3 bunt in that particular fashion would be kind of out of the ordinary.''
Right as the game resumed, someone in the crowd hurled a baseball that almost hit Walker in the head.
''That's when I went out to the umpire and I said, 'Another thing comes out, we're going to pull our team off the field,'' Canadian manager Ernie Whitt said.
The collision of WBC rules and the unwritten rules of the game led to the blowup, Renteria said.
''I think in just in the heat of the moment you lose sight of it,'' he said, ''and maybe that's how it occurred.''
Whitt said WBC officials need to look at the tiebreaking rule.
''There's got to be another method other than the scoring runs, running up the score on the opposing team,'' he said. ''No one likes that. That's not the way baseball's supposed to be played. There's professionalism that we're all accustomed to here in North America. And unfortunately teams are knocked out of the tournament because other teams run up the score on them. Unfortunately that's what you have to deal with when you have that type of format.''
Morneau, Gonzalez and Joey Votto were among the big-name, high-priced stars playing in the game. The fight was exactly the kind of thing that must have made major league managers and general managers cringe at the thought of one of their players getting hurt in such a fracas.
''There's a point you got to stand up for yourself,'' said Morneau, a former MVP with the Minnesota Twins. ''We got hit for playing the game, and that happens, but at the same time you got to stand up for yourself. You can't just get pushed around.''
''Obviously everyone wishes it didn't happen, but it happens in the game sometimes,'' he said. '' I think we have all learned from being in the minor leagues that, especially in low-A ball, high-A ball, those things get real crazy. There's not as much security. It starts to get out of control pretty bad, and I think you learn from that, you learn to keep your head on a swivel.''
Aceves was among four Mexican players thrown out - the angry Boston reliever was tossed to the ground by Philadelphia minor league outfielder Tyson Gillies during the height of the fury, then rushed to rejoin the fray.
''I did it see it on video. I saw it afterward. I saw the altercation, yes,'' Red Sox manager John Farrell said after Saturday night's exhibition game against Baltimore in Fort Myers, Fla. ''I think we all hope our players don't get injured when they go off to a tournament , especially in that type of melee.''
As for Aceves, ''it looks like he came out of it OK, with the exception of a couple of welts on his head,'' Farrell said. ''We had a message from their trainer that he came out of it OK despite taking a couple of left hooks to the head.''
Also ejected were Leon, Oliver Perez and Eduardo Arredondo of Mexico and Tosoni, Pete Orr and Jay Johnson of Canada. A statement from organizers said tape of the incident would be reviewed for possible disciplinary action.
All in all, it was far from the worldwide goodwill that is supposed to accompany this competition, where players exchange team hats with opponents before the start of each game as a sign of sportsmanship.
A day earlier on the same field, Mexico posted an emotional 5-2 over the United States in a game without incident. Canada, meanwhile, absorbed an embarrassing 14-4 loss to Italy.
Mexico finished its Pool D play at 1-2. Canada is 1-1 going into a game Sunday against the United States.
Whitt said he hoped any decision on suspensions would take into account that Mexico has finished its pool play, while Canada has a big game remaining.
Canada scored four times in the first inning, and Mexico cut the lead to 4-3 with two runs in the fourth.
Karim Garcia, Edgar Gonzalez and pinch hitter Sebastian Valle started the inning with singles. Garcia tried to score from second on Valle's single and was thrown out from center field by Gillies.
Robinson, the catcher, held on to the ball in a collision with Garcia down the third-base line. Garcia never did touch the plate.
Gil Velazquez followed with an RBI double and Arrendondo's sacrifice fly cut Canada's lead to one.
Robinson's hard slide into second broke up a potential double play and allowed a run to score in a two-run seventh inning that put the Canadians ahead 7-3.
Morneau, who had four hits and drove in three runs, doubled in a run, then Michael Saunders walked and Robinson was hit in the foot by a pitch. With one out, pinch hitter Jimmy Van Ostrand grounded to second.
But Robinson took the legs out from Velazquez at shortstop to prevent the relay throw and a run scored.
'''We want to play the game hard. We want to play it properly. You get an opportunity to help a team, help your teammates, by breaking up a double play or something, that's something we do,'' Robinson said.
All that led up to the ninth, with Mexico trailing badly and facing possible elimination despite the big win over the United States.
Robinson bunted because Canada wanted to widen the margin.
Two pitches came close to Tosoni and the next one hit him in the back. He dropped the bat and walked toward the mound.
When the players all rushed onto the field. Some just shoved, other threw wild haymakers. And just when it seemed things would calm down, more skirmishes ensued.
When the bottle was thrown from behind the Canadian dugout, one Canada player had to be restrained from going into the stands.
No player seemed to be hurt.
''I know the bodies kept moving everywhere but there was a lot more people holding people back than there was real action going on,'' Renteria said, ''as is always the case.''
As for his team, Whitt said, ''You can't hurt Canadians.''

Researchers: Stonehenge started as huge graveyard 

 

British researchers have proposed a new theory for the origins of Stonehenge: It may have started as a giant burial ground for elite families around 3,000 B.C.

New studies of cremated human remains excavated from the site suggest that about 500 years before the Stonehenge we know today was built, a larger stone circle was erected at the same site as a community graveyard, researchers said Saturday.

"These were men, women, children, so presumably family groups," University College London professor Mike Parker Pearson, who led the team, said. "We'd thought that maybe it was a place where a dynasty of kings was buried, but this seemed to be much more of a community, a different kind of power structure."

Parker Pearson said archeologists studied the cremated bones of 63 individuals, and believed that they were buried around 3,000 B.C. The location of many of the cremated bodies was originally marked by bluestones, he said. That earlier circular enclosure, which measured around 300 feet (91 meters) across, could have been the burial ground for about 200 more people, Parker Pearson said.

The team, which included academics from more than a dozen British universities, also put forth some theories about the purpose of the second Stonehenge — the monument still standing in the countryside in southern England today.
Various theories have been proposed about Stonehenge, including that it was a place for Druid worship, an observatory for astronomical studies, or a place of healing, built by early inhabitants of Britain who roamed around with their herds.
Parker Pearson said the latest study suggested that Stonehenge should be seen less a temple of worship than a kind of building project that served to unite people from across Britain.
Analysis of the remains of a Neolithic settlement near the monument indicated that thousands of people traveled from as far as Scotland to the site, bringing their livestock and families for huge feasts and celebrations during the winter and summer solstices.
The team studied the teeth of pigs and cattle found at the "builders' camp," and deduced that the animals were mostly slaughtered around nine months or 15 months after their spring births. That meant they were likely eaten in feasts during the midwinter and midsummer, Parker Pearson said.
"We don't think (the builders) were living there all the time. We could tell that by when they were killing the pigs — they were there for the solstices," he said.
The researchers believe that the builders converged seasonally to build Stonehenge, but not for very long — likely over a period of a decade or so.
The mass monument building is thought to end around the time when the "Beaker people," so called because of their distinctive pottery, arrived from continental Europe, Parker Pearson said.

Rolls-Royce unveils its fastest car ever - the Wraith 

 

Rolls-Royce unveiled the brand's fastest production model ever, but being that this is a Rolls-Royce we're talking about, the Wraith isn't exactly a sports car.

The Wraith is very big, weighing about 5000 pounds, despite being only a two-door car. It was among the hundreds of vehicles that were unveiled this week at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, including new models from the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini.

Despite its heft, the Wraith is capable of surprisingly respectable performance along with the luxury features that owners have come to expect from a Rolls.
With its 624 horsepower V12 engine, the Wraith can hurtle from zero to 60 miles an hour in just 4.4 seconds. The car's 8-speed transmission gets information from a GPS unit so that it can select gears based in the road ahead. For instance, it can downshift the moment a hill or curve is approached. That helps with both performance and fuel economy, Rolls says.

Inside Ferrari's hybrid supercar - LaFerrari

Few car companies wear their history like McLaren. Founded by a Kiwi who arrived in the UK in 1958 on a driving scholarship, in 1963 he put his name on the back of a sportscar and started a legend; a legend that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
And what better way to celebrate than to unveil the production version of its most anticipated road car yet? Here, after months of teases, concepts and a steady trickle of incredible stats, is the final version of its latest road-going monster: the McLaren P1. And we finally have the full story.

Related content
 

 

 So what about that history? Well, so ensconced is the company's deep and gloried victory roster in Formula One - think eight constructors' world championships and 12 F1 world champions - the P1 is practically a road-going Formula One car.

We'll come to that F1 influence in a bit, because first we need to tell you about that drivetrain. Underneath the trick aero body rests a tweaked version of the 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 from the MP4-12C, here producing 727bhp and 531lb ft of torque. It's dry sumped, with a pair of water-cooled and oil lubricated turbochargers cranked up to 2.4 bar (0.2 bar more than the 12C's).
There's also an electric motor producing another 176bhp - double the power of a Formula One car's KERS - that "fills in the holes in the torque curve you get with turbo engines", as McLaren's test driver Chris Goodwin points out. There's a lightweight battery pack on board too, able to deliver up to 176bhp instantly via a button on the steering wheel.
So what you're looking at in total is 903bhp and 664lb ft of torque (limited to protect the clutch), with that electric motor permanently active - it doesn't switch in and out - harnessed by a seven speed dual clutch automatic gearbox sending power to the rear wheels. Should have razor sharp steering too: it takes just 2.2 turns lock-to-lock, compared to 2.6 for the 12C.
The raw stats are thus: 0-62mph takes "less than" three seconds, 0-124mph is gone in under seven seconds, and 0-186mph takes 17 seconds. Compare this to the McLaren F1's times of 3.2s to 62mph, 9.4s to 124mph, and 22s to 186mph, and you get some kind of impression that the P1 is fast.
Not only that, it's slippery too, with a body honed using not only that original F1 as inspiration, but also Lewis Hamilton's 2008 championship-winning McLaren F1 car. Ah yes, F1. Underneath, there's a single carbon fibre tub, as in the 12C, that is five times stronger than titanium and even meets the FIA's load regulations (hint), while every body panel is made from lightweight carbon fibre and shaped to guide air into where it's needed most, almost ‘shrink-wrapping' itself around the drivetrain. Even the light strips at the front were minimised to allow for a bigger surface area to let hot air escape.
The trick aero also includes a rear wing fitted with a moveable DRS-style flap, that extends by 120mm on the road, and by 300mm in ‘Race' mode on a track - working like an inverted aeroplane wing - and a couple of flaps ahead of the front wheels. All in, the P1 develops a whopping 600kg of downforce at 160mph - it would be pointless, McLaren points out, to have such downforce at the car's 218mph top speed.
Plus, there's terribly sophisticated suspension trickery occurring in the shape of nitrogen-filled carbon-fibre accumulators that deal with heave stiffness and roll stiffness, and a self-levelling system that compensates for passengers and fuel up to a tolerance of 4mm. It's allied to four modes: normal, sport, track and race, and rides low too; ‘Race' mode drops the car by 50mm, stiffens the hydraulic springs and increases their rate by 300 per cent. For the humble sleeping policeman though, there's also a function that raises the car's height by 50mm at speeds of up to 37mph.
See new pictures of the production-ready McLaren P1
So because of this system of accumulators and springs, there are no anti-roll bars, with the P1 decoupling suspension in a straight line, and changing the damping and torsional stiffness when the road gets twisty. We're told that in full-attack mode, there is no body roll.
As such, McLaren reckons you'll be able to achieve up to 2g when cornering, using specially developed Pirelli tyres that are closer in nature to racing tyres than normal road car tyres, mounted onto lightweight 19in front and 20in rear wheels. Hiding inside are Le Mans-spec 390mm front brake discs with six-piston calipers, and 380mm rear brakes with four pots, all housing bespoke pads developed by Akebono.
Inside, McLaren has uprooted a forest of carbon fibre trees, as it's everywhere: the dashboard, floor, headlining, doors, rockers and central control unit are all CF, all without a lacquer to save a whopping... 1.5kg.
There's no sound deadening, carpet is an option, the racing bucket seats use but the merest whisper of foam padding, and even the glasshouse cabin takes its inspiration from a bare-boned fighter jet. All in, the whole car weighs in at 1,395kg - 100kg shy of the figure we guessed a while back.
Paul MacKenzie, P1 programme director, tells us: "It may not be the fastest car in the world in absolute top speed, but that was never our goal. Rather, we believe it is the fastest ever production car on a racing circuit, a much more important technical statement, and far more relevant for on-road driving."
Impressive stuff, no? Just 375 P1s will be built, each costing £866,000 each, with production starting later this year. And what a year: this P1 now goes into battle against the new Ferrari - the most technologically advanced model from Maranello ever built - and the Porsche 918 Spider.

Forgotten' inmate gets $15.5 million settlement from N.M. county

Stephen Slevin's 22 months in solitary confinement in a county jail left him traumatized and physically weak, but he'll soon be a multimillionaire for his suffering.

The New Mexico county that locked him up on a drunk driving charge, isolated him from other inmates and accused of essentially forgetting about him for nearly two years agreed this week to settle his lawsuit for $15.5 million.

Slevin, now 59, went to jail in August 2005 as "a well nourished, physically healthy adult," but emerged with a long beard, bed sores, bad teeth and weighing just 133 pounds in June 2007, according to the lawsuit.

Jailers separated Slevin from other inmates because of his history of mental illness, according to the lawsuit filed by Albuquerque civil rights attorney Matthew Coyte in December 2008.

The charges of driving while intoxicated and receiving a stolen vehicle were never prosecuted.

"They threw him in solitary and then ignored him," said Coyte a year ago after a federal jury awarded Slevin $22 million. "He disappeared into delirium, and his mental illness was made worse by being isolated from human contact and a lack of medical care."

Slevin suffers from post-traumatic stress from what he called physical and mental mistreatment by corrections officials in Dona Ana County, which shares a border with Mexico in the southern part of the state.

The county's commissioners agreed this week to drop their appeal of the jury's verdict in return for Slevin accepting the lesser amount.

"The Board of County Commissioners deeply regrets the harm Mr. Slevin suffered during this period," the county said in a statement Thursday. "Over the past seven years, Dona Ana County has made significant improvements to detention center staffing, training, facilities and procedures. Dona Ana County is committed to ensuring consistent and appropriate treatment of every detainee in its care."

Slevin's lawsuit alleged he became malnourished, lost significant weight, developed bedsores, fungus and dental problems and was not aware of his situation or surroundings.

He was transferred to another state facility for two weeks, given a psychiatric evaluation and then sent back to the Dona Ana County Detention Center, where he was again placed in solitary confinement. Coyte said Slevin did receive a brief competency hearing a year into his imprisonment, but the case against the man never proceeded.

After 22 months as a pretrial detainee, Slevin was released and the charges dismissed. He then filed suit, claiming his rights of due process were violated since he was not given a hearing before being placed in solitary confinement.

Photos taken before and after his confinement show dramatic appearance changes. The plaintiff said things were so bad he was forced to pull his own tooth while in custody, and that his pleas for help were dismissed.

In pretrial motions, the county denied "that there was lack of medical care. For most of the other allegations, officials either denied them or said they were "without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief" of the veracity of the claims.

Coyte said he and Slevin hope their victory would "help bring a stop to the use of solitary confinement in America. Other countries recognize it as a form of torture, whereas America uses it as a routine method of incarceration."

"The families and friends of the people who have been subjected to this barbaric treatment know what we are talking about," Coyte wrote in an e-mail. "They see the effects of it every day. Hopefully Stephen's story can make a difference to them and others who are currently sitting in a concrete cell 23 hours a day."

The county said it has taken "bold steps" to improve the 846-bed jail, which it said would make it "the model for detention centers and the care of the mentally ill in the state of New Mexico."

"In the wake of this large settlement, we can say definitively that we have learned from the past," its statement said. "We can also say with confidence that we are leading the way for the future."

Slevin continues to have serious medical issues, and is fighting lung cancer, his lawyer said.

"Stephen is optimistic in his ongoing battle with cancer and is doing as well as can be expected while undergoing some pretty difficult treatments," Coyte wrote. "Mentally, he will always suffer the effects of his inhumane treatment at the hands of Dona Ana County. The money can never replace what they took from him."

Intern attacked and killed by lion at cat sanctuary

The victim, 26, was alone with another volunteer at Project Survival's Cat Haven in Fresno County at the time of the attack, officials say. Authorities kill the lion while trying to rescue the woman.

 
 A 26-year-old woman was attacked and killed by a lion at a Fresno County cat sanctuary Wednesday, and deputies shot the animal as they rushed to rescue the victim.
Project Survival's Cat Haven houses lions, tigers, cheetahs and jaguars in enclosures on a boulder-strewn hillside about half a mile off the main road to Kings Canyon National Park. The nonprofit sanctuary, which raises money for conservation causes, gets about 10,000 visitors a year but is closed midweek.

At the time of the attack, there were only two volunteers, both women in their 20s, at the 93-acre park. The woman who was killed was an intern; the other is a more experienced volunteer at the park.
The Fresno County Sheriff's Department received the emergency call shortly before 12:30 p.m. Friends of workers said the routine is to feed the cats about noon. The usual method is to go into a small enclosure, leave the food, get out, then let the animals inside from a larger enclosure. According to the sanctuary's guidelines, caregivers should never be inside with the big cats.
Allowing anyone inside a cage with a lion, especially a volunteer intern, would be "completely irresponsible," said Nicole Paquette, vice president of wildlife for the Humane Society of the United States.
"These animals are ticking time bombs waiting to explode," Paquette told The Times. "It's completely irresponsible to allow someone to go into the enclosure."
The other volunteer repeatedly tried to coax the animal — a 4-year-old male African lion named Cous Cous — into another enclosure, away from the victim, officials said. Police fatally shot the lion before rushing to the injured woman, according to Sheriff's Department officials, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name has not been released.
Authorities would not say whether the lion was in the larger enclosure or the feeding area.
Indeed, authorities offered few details about the incident, including why the two volunteers were left unsupervised to tend the animals. Yellow tape went up across the park's entrance gates, which are decorated with bright blue big cats. A swarm of news media congregated outside.
Dale Anderson, a former commercial pilot who founded the park more than a decade ago, came outside to read a statement.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family at this time," he said, choking back tears. "We'll keep you posted as things progress around here."
A young man visiting from Italy, who said he was the boyfriend of the volunteer who found the victim, was also kept outside the gates.
"I always worried about her working with lions and jaguars and bobcats," he said. "But they were always very careful. She must be in shock. I just want to go to her."

Janice Mackey, a state Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman, said the department had taken custody of the lion's body and would assist the Sheriff's Department with its investigation.
The park is licensed by the state and everything is in order, Mackey said, adding the agency was unaware of any previous problems.
Paquette said the tragedy underscores the need for more stringent regulations on how workers interact with wild animals. "The Department of Fish and Wildlife needs to take a hard look at its existing regulations," she said.
The facility is also regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has conducted at least five routine inspections of the site since October 2011, according to records reviewed by The Times. The inspection reports show that the park was found to be in compliance with federal regulations.
Cous Cous had been at the park since he was 8 weeks old, said Project Survival spokeswoman Tanya Osegueda.
"It's so tragic all the way around," she said

 

Rare naked-eye comet now visible.

A rare treat for sky watchers is hovering overhead.
Comet Pan-STARRS is now visible on the western horizon in the Northern Hemisphere and viewers in the United States may be able to see it with the naked eye.
The comet has been visible through telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere for a while and amateur photographers are now posting sightings online from the Northern Hemisphere.
Scientists estimate that naked-eye comets happen only once every five to 10 years, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
If you have a clear view of the western horizon about 15 minutes after twilight, you should be able to see the comet without using binoculars or a telescope. It will look like a bright point of light with its tail pointing nearly straight up from the horizon, according to the laboratory.
In a few days, the comet may get lost in the sun's glare, but should be visible to the naked eye again by March 12. This may be the best time to look for Pan-STARRS; it should emerge in the western sunset sky not far from the crescent moon.
The comet will slowly fade from view and be hard to see by the end of the month, even using binoculars or small telescopes.
PanSTARRS gets its funky name from the telescope credited with discovering it: the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System in Hawaii.
Some comet viewing tips:
1) Safety first: Don't try to look at the comet until the sun sets. Do not look at the sun using regular binoculars or telescopes. Ever! You'll burn up your eyes.
2) Comet Pan-STARRS will stay close to the horizon, so you'll need to get away from trees and buildings.
3) Look carefully! The sky will still be bright at dusk, which can make it hard to spot comets.
4) If the skies are clear, and you are away from city light pollution, you may be able to see the comet with your bare eyes. If not, use binoculars.
5) If you can't escape the city, try using binoculars.
If you miss Pan-STARRS, we might get to see a better comet later in 2013: Comet ISON.
ISON was discovered by Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in September 2012. It is named after their night-sky survey program, the International Scientific Optical Network.
On November 28, it is expected to dive into the sun's atmosphere. If it survives, it might glow as brightly as the moon and be briefly visible in daylight. Its tail might stretch far across the night sky. Or it could fall apart.
Scientists say they won’t know until late summer what to expect from ISON.

WWE Says William Moody, Aka Paul Bearer Has Died
 














 
Paul Bearer seen here with The Undertaker on WWF (WWE)

 William Moody, better known to pro wrestling fans as Paul Bearer, the pasty-faced, urn-carrying manager for performers The Undertaker and Kane, has died, the WWE said. He was 58.

A spokesman for the wrestling company said Moody's family contacted the WWE to report the death on Tuesday. No cause was released.

After stints in various independent wrestling promotions, Moody joined the WWE in 1990 and quickly became associated with The Undertaker, a character who claimed he was undead and boasted of mystical powers.

In the WWE plotline, Paul Bearer later managed Undertaker's on-screen half brother Kane. He also managed the bad-guy character Mick "Mankind" Foley.

His shrill catchphrase, "Ooohhh yeeesss!" and contorted facial expressions made him one of the sports-entertainment company's more popular personalities for more than a decade.

In the outlandish world of pro wrestling, Paul Bearer was once placed in a glass casket and buried in concrete. In his final WWE appearance last year, Paul Bearer was locked in a freezer by Randy Orton and left there tied up even after he was found by Kane.

That was Moody's life in the WWE. And it was a business he loved for nearly 40 years. Many of his colleagues paid tribute to him on Wednesday on Twitter.

"Rest in peace, Paul Bearer. You will never be forgotten. There will never be another," wrote wrestler Triple H.

Moody was a perfect fit as a macabre mortician. When he joined the WWE, he ditched the blond hair and Percy Pringle name he forged in the 1980s for jet black locks complete with powdered white face. In the act, Paul Bearer's urn had some unexplained power that protected the Undertaker, allowing his protege to escape unscathed from every leg drop and big boot to the face. Paul Bearer also hosted the WWE segment, "The Funeral Parlor."

Moody, an Alabama native, told the pro wrestling website PWTorch.com last year that had a degree in mortuary science. He said he was a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He was called to WWE chairman Vince McMahon's office about taking the job as Undertaker's manager without the company knowing his true background.

"It was one those had-to-be-there moments when Vince realized I was the real thing, the real deal," Moody told the website. "I was the real Undertaker."

Moody battled health and weight problems and worked on and off for the company after 2002.

Foley said he babysat Moody's children and called him "Uncle Paul." The Paul Bearer character will be remembered most for the soap opera twists in his relationship with The Undertaker, still one of the premier stars of the company.

"It just seemed so bizarre," Foley said in a telephone interview. "But at the same time, he was a perfect fit for The Undertaker. They went on to become iconic figures in our profession."