truesee's Blog

Chicago mayor retires sparking talk about bid by Rahm Emanuel

 

He won’t have much time to decide — the election is Feb. 22, 2011, and candidates need to file by Nov. 22.

A senior administration official requesting anonymity told The Hill: “I would be surprised if he [Emanuel] wasn’t a candidate.”

Emanuel, a Chicago native who has represented part of the city in the House, spoke of his interest in the job earlier this year.

In April, he told television host Charlie Rose he hoped Daley would seek reelection, but that he would like to run for the position “one day.”

“I hope Mayor Daley seeks reelection. I will work and support him if he seeks reelection,” Emanuel said at the time. “But if Mayor Daley doesn’t, one day I would like to run for mayor of the City of Chicago. That’s always been an aspiration of mine even when I was in the House of Representatives.”

In a short statement, Obama, who represented Illinois in the Senate, praised Daley’s service without mentioning Emanuel.

“No mayor in America has loved a city more or served a community with greater passion than Rich Daley. He helped build Chicago’s image as a world-class city, and leaves a legacy of progress that will be appreciated for generations to come,” the president said.

Daley’s announcement was shocking: He is the son of Chicago’s longest-serving mayor and has occupied the office since 1989. There was little indication he would not seek a seventh term.

It’s “time for me, it’s time for Chicago to move on,” he said at a Tuesday press conference.

“The truth is I have been thinking about this for the past several months,” Daley said. “In the end this is a personal decision, no more, no less.”

His wife, Maggie, is battling cancer, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The surprise announcement didn’t stop people from speculating on who would replace Daley.

Emanuel’s name was floated by radio and print news outlets in Chicago, including in banner headline stories on the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times websites.

But Emanuel could be one of more than a dozen candidates. Other names floated Tuesday include Daley’s brother, William Daley, and longtime Democratic Alderman Ed Burke.

The mayor’s announcement also inspired a flurry of Twitter posts from Washington reporters, who have long had an eye on Emanuel’s next step.

Adding to the speculation surrounding Emanuel’s future is the typically short shelf lives of White House chiefs of staff. President George W. Bush had only two, but President Clinton went through four in his two terms, and President George H.W. Bush employed three in his single term.

One of Emanuel’s top aides, Sarah Feinberg, left the White House in May to take a senior position with Bloomberg news service, which also fueled the curiosity surrounding Emanuel’s next move in politics.

Emanuel is not the only top White House aide to be subject to rumors regarding their futures. Senior advisers Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod both moved from Chicago to Washington to serve in the White House, prompting speculation about how long they will stay in their jobs.

The former congressman uprooted his wife and three children from the Chicago area and left the House of Representatives in order to take the chief of staff position in Washington.

While in Congress, Emanuel served as the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2006 cycle in which the Democrats took control of the House. He was rumored to have coveted the Speaker’s gavel.

This story was originally posted at 2:42 p.m. and updated at 8:52 p.m.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39028828/ns/health-cancer/

David Axelrod: Republican Congress Could Be 'More Extreme' Than Bush (EXCLUSIVE)

First Posted: 09- 7-10 10:46 AM   |   Updated: 09- 7-10 10:46 AM

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/gallery?search=venus+williams#photoViewer=urn%3Anewsml%3Asports.yahoo%2Cgetty%3A20050301%3Aten%2Cphoto%2C79c5701365582dcb16f8a3c252629d34-getty-ten-us_open-peer-williams%3A1

Hagen for NewsYenny Valero says her son was attacked and sexually assaulted by fellow kindergarten classmates a week before the end of last school year.

The mother of a 5-year-old Queens boy claims her son was jumped inside his elementary school and sexually assaulted by four classmates - all of them kindergartners.

Mom Yenny Valero said the shocking attack occurred in the school's bathroom just weeks before the end of the school year.

"I'm very sad and disappointed," Valero told the Daily News. "You never expect this to happen to your child, especially in school. You expect them to go to school and come back safe."

The Astoria resident filed a notice of claim on Aug. 27 - the first step in suing the city - alleging her son was assaulted, sexually abused and raped.

The News is withholding the name of the boy and his school to protect his identity.

Valero said their ordeal began when her son went to the bathroom on June 11.

Four boys, all 6 or 7 years old, held him down, removed his pants and inserted at least one finger into his anus, according to the legal papers.

The young victim, who wears ankle braces because of balance issues, suffered physical injuries and posttraumatic stress disorder, the filing states.

"He's already started with a psychologist," said Valero's lawyer Sean Serpe. "He's having nightmares, gender identification issues."

The boy told his mother and her sister about the attack the next day, saying he had been bullied by the students in the past.

"I couldn't believe this was happening to my son," said Valero, 30. "I thought I was living a nightmare."

The mother called 311, which put her in touch with the city's Administration for Children's Services and an NYPD special victims squad detective, who investigated the alleged assault.

Because her son only had oneweek left of class, she kept him out of school, but said she spoke to the assistant principal on June 16 about the incident.

"They said they didn't know anything about it and that they would investigate," Valero said.

She said she still has not heard from the city Education Department about the outcome of the investigation, but the four alleged attackers were allowed to attend kindergarten graduation.

"They said they couldn't suspend anyone because the investigation wasn't over," Valero.

Her son didn't attend the graduation and has since gotten a safety transfer to another school.

According to police sources, detectives investigated the incident, but the criminal case was closed because of the young ages of the students.

The Education Department declined to comment.

Elizabeth Thomas, a spokeswoman for the city Law Department, said her agency has not filed any charges in Queens Family Court against the alleged attackers.

'Four monsters out there'

Serpe said he was shocked that none of the boys has been brought to justice.

"Basically, you got four monsters out there who are getting a free pass," Serpe said. "They haven't even been required to receive therapy for their actions."

One expert said she did not want to downplay the seriousness of the incident but said it is unlikely that children so young would realize the the full extent of what they were doing.

"It's a horrible thing to happen to any child, but it's not unheard of," said Dr. Susan Sherkow, a child psychiatric expert and instructor at the child and adolescent division of the New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute.

"Why would they pick on him? They may see him as vulnerable," Sherkow said. "They may know that they're doing something humiliating, but typically they wouldn't really understand it as criminal intent, as sexual assault in the way adults do."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/07/2010-09-07_qns_mom_says_son_attacked_at_school_by_4_fellow_kindergartners_my_5yrold_sexuall.html#ixzz0ysECDjBg

Tuesday, September 7th 2010, 9:10 AM

Douliery/PoolHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama must weather a growing tide of anti-Democratic sentiment from voters this November.

 

Two separate polls released Tuesday tell the same grim story for Democrats: Prepare to lose in the November midterm elections.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll gives the GOP a 53%-40% advantage over Democrats in this year's congressional races, the largest gap in that poll since 1981.

Republicans enjoy a 49%-40% lead in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, with the GOP advantage swelling to 20 points among voters with the highest amount of interest in this year's elections.

Voters overall, however, are tied at 43% apiece when asked if they prefer a Democratic or Republican-controlled Congress in the NBC/WSJ poll.

"We all know that there is a hurricane coming for the Democrats," said Peter D. Hart, the Democratic pollster who conducted the NBC News/WSJ survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff. "We just don't know if it will be a Category 4 or a Category 5."

Both polls show dwindling approval for President Obama's handling of the economy.

"That is a huge danger sign," McInturff said of the president's 39% approval rating on his work with the economy.

Not surprisingly, Republicans plan to hammer Democrats over the stagnant economy and current 9.6% unemployment rate all the way to the voting booths.

"Stay focused on the issue the public is concerned about, and that is the economy," Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the number two House Republican, is telling fellow GOP candidates.

The numbers in Tuesday's poll mirror a Gallup Poll last month, which showed Republicans with a 10-point lead over Democrats.

In order to take control of Congress, Republicans need to win a net of 39 seats in the House and 10 Senate seats

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/09/07/2010-09-07_republicans_own_big_lead_over_democrats_heading_into_november_midterm_elections_.html#ixzz0ysBq6500

Sources: Trust to take Bush’s Heisman

Charles Robinson and Jason Cole

Yahoo Sports

September 7, 2010

9:38 AM

Bush, now a standout with the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Heisman trust has been conducting its own independent inquiry into Bush’s eligibility since the NCAA ruled in June that the USC star had committed multiple violations by accepting cash, gifts and other impermissible benefits while playing for the Trojans. Yahoo! Sports first detailed the extra benefits in September 2006. In its findings, the NCAA retroactively ruled Bush ineligible for part of the 2004 season and all of 2005. The NCAA also ordered the USC program to remove all references to Bush from its sporting venues and promotional materials and vacate his statistics from all games in which he was ineligible.

In July, incoming USC president C.L. Max Nikias announced that the university would be returning its copy of Bush’s Heisman to the trust, stating the Trojans would honor and respect athletes who “did not compromise their athletic program or the opportunities of future USC student-athletes.” New USC athletic director Pat Haden followed up in August, stating during an interview with the Dan Patrick radio show that Bush should also voluntarily return his Heisman.

While others pressed for a swift decision, the trust opted for a patient, meticulous effort. Sources said the trust did its own detailed investigation over the past three months, using a litany of resources and reviewing its information against the NCAA’s findings. The trust also offered Bush a chance to impact the decision.

The process apparently came with considerable debate – in part because of the trust’s quest for due process, but also because of the unique nature of the decision. Never in the history of the award has the trust been forced to retroactively rule on the eligibility of a past winner. That reality, along with the NCAA’s findings, created a tangled knot of deliberation regarding the trust’s place in the role of enforcement. Sources said the prominent issues discussed included accountability, on-field vs. off-field conduct, implications of retroactively stripping an award and possible impact on future athletes and the NCAA.

Two factors outweighed all others, sources said: The Heisman ballot necessitates candidates be in compliance with NCAA bylaws and concern over the Heisman’s reputation in the wake of the NCAA findings against Bush.

The status of USC’s 2004 Bowl Championship Series national title remains to be determined. BCS officials are awaiting the NCAA’s ruling on the Trojans’ appeal of the June finding.

THE DAY OF SUCCESS SEEKERS

  Novels could be written about September 7^th people and their never ending pursuit of personal success. That they encounter obstacles on their way is indeed an understatement. The road is generally long, the difficulties manifold and perilous, but these determined individuals will not give up until they achieve what they have set out to do, even if it takes their dying breath to accomplish it.

   The world is not quick to understand or to recognize those born on this day, but by sheer force of their willpower or the imaginative creative thrust of their ideas they eventually win people over to them. Strangely enough, September 7^th people who rise more easily to the top of their field, perhaps at a young age, may feel denied their need to struggle for success. Some of them can even give up everything they have accomplished and start all over again in another pursuit, much to the consternation of their family and friends.

     September 7^th people who work in technical or highly specialized areas will not rest until they have gained complete mastery over their materials. They exhibit great integrity in their work. Those who are involved in leading or ruling will fuse their subjects, followers or employees into a cohesive, smooth running unit, with no doubt whatsoever about who’s the boss or what the goal is. As family head, those born on this day provide direction and inspiration to their children and mates, but will tolerate no insubordination. Those born on the 7^th day of the month are ruled by the number 7. Those ruled by the number 7 traditionally like change and travel this agrees with their need for excitement.

Advice:  Find it in your heart to accept. Learn to enjoy yourself and then pass that gift to others. Don’t be so hard on yourself and those near and dear to you. An inflexible attitude plants seeds of rebellion.

Strengths:  Diligent, goal oriented and determined.

Weaknesses: Over competitive, insensitive and unforgiving.

Born on This Day:  Queen Elizabeth 1, Grandma Moses, David Packard, and Gloria Gaynor

This Day in History:  On this day in 1813, the United States gets its nickname, Uncle Sam. The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels with "U.S." for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as "Uncle Sam's." The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for the U.S. federal government.

Famous Inventions: 1948 Patent # 2,448,908 was granted to Louis Parker for a television receiver. His "intercarrier sound system" is now used in all television receivers in the world. Without it TV receivers would not work as well and would be more costly.

This is for entertainment only.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Strange-News/Worlds-Shortest-Man-Colombian-Edward-Nino-Hernandez-Is-27-Inches-Or-70cm-Tall/Article/201009115716109?f=rss

Snake Smuggler Jailed Over Boas In Baggage

 

5:09pm UK

Monday September 06, 2010

Andy Winter

Sky News Online

A notorious wildlife trafficker has been caught trying to smuggle nearly 100 live boa constrictors into Indonesia after his bag broke at an airport.

 

The snakes were found in Anson Wong's bag

 

Malaysian Anson Wong - nicknamed the Lizard King - was stopped by security officials at Kuala Lumpur airport after his luggage split open on a conveyer belt.

As well as 95 live endangered boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and a matamata turtle were also found inside his bag.

Wong has now been jailed for six months and fined $40,000 - but campaigners have denounced the sentence as a "tragedy".

Two rhinoceros vipers and a matamata turtle were also discovered

The 52-year-old could have been locked up for seven years and faced fines of $40,000 per snake.

He has already served a 71-month prison term in the United States for trafficking wildlife.

William Schaedla of Traffic, a wildlife trade monitoring organisation, said: "(The sentence) clearly tells wildlife traffickers that they have little to fear from Malaysian law.

"This is a tragedy."

 

LINK TO PICTURES

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Snakes-In-Luggage-Malaysian-Lizard-King-Anson-Wong-Caught-With-Boa-Constrictors-At-Airport/Article/201009115716598?f=rss

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1309407/The-30st-man-work-case-topples-crushes-colleagues.html

Juror fined, more, after posting early 'verdict' to Facebook

September 5th, 2010 4:27 pm ET

 

Wnen you're on a jury, not only are you not supposed to discuss the case with anyone outside the jury, you're certainly not supposed to make your mind up before all the evidence is presented. Thus, Michigan resident Hadley Jons made two mistakes when serving on a Jury in early August.

Jons, 20, posted to her Facebook that it was "gonna be fun to tell the defendant they're GUILTY." The post was discovered by the defense team on Aug. 11, before they had even begun presenting their side of the case, and Jons was removed from the jury the next day.

That wasn't the end of the story. Earlier this week, Jons received her punishment, which was actually quite mild. She was assigned a five-page essay to write about the constitutional right to a fair trial, by Macomb County Circuit Judge Diane Druzinski. "I'm sorry, very sorry," Jons told Druzinski. She has to complete the essay, as well as pay a $250 fine, by Oct. 1st.

Facebook perhaps was worse than telling a friend about the case. After all, all Jons' friends (or at least those given the rights to) could see her post. "You violated your oath. You had decided she was already guilty without hearing the other side," Druzinski said.

The Facebook post was found by Jaxon Goodman, the 17-year-old son of the defendant's defense lawyer. Leann Etchison had been charged with resisting arrest. She was eventually found guilty.

This is just another example of how difficult things are for the courts in this day of smartphones and social networking. Among other things, courts also have to deal with folks using their smartphones (and the Internet) to research cases, which is something else taboo for jurors.

        Those born on September 6^th are extremely vulnerable to the hidden workings of chance. More than others, their lives seem guided by the hand of fate, for better or worse. For many born on this day, life may be proceeding predictably when seemingly for no reason at all WHAMMO!

     When September 6^th people try to direct and in a sense restrict the course of their lives, things often just seem to work against them. They can make highly detailed plans, preparing for every contingency and still find that events are not unfolding at all as they had expected.

     Though their lives may be quite uneven, September 6 people themselves are remarkably constant and faithful. Friends and family are extremely important to them and can serve as a protective buffer between them and the harsher side of life.

   Those born on the 6^th day of the month are ruled by the number 6, they are magnetic in attracting love and admiration.  Often love becomes the dominant theme in life of those ruled by the number 6, certainly true for those on born day.

Advice:  Learn to work with Fate. It is neither your enemy not your friend, but it can become an accepted companion.   Don’t be afraid to take the initiative. Build solidly and let go of some of your cherished illusions. Don’t believe that you are misfortune prone.

Strengths: Accepting, sympathetic and tasteful.

Weaknesses:  Self involved, repressed and fatalistic.

Born On This Day: Jane Adams, Joseph Kennedy, Johnny Kelley and Roger Law.

Great Inventions:  1988 The Combined Cap & Baseball Mitt patent #4,768,232 was granted.

This Day in History: First tank produced

On this day in 1915, a prototype tank nicknamed Little Willie rolls off the assembly line in England. Little Willie was far from an overnight success. It weighed 14 tons, got stuck in trenches and crawled over rough terrain at only two miles per hour. However, improvements were made to the original prototype and tanks eventually transformed military battlefields.

This is for entertainment only.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/03/labor-day-history-facts_n_705480.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/05/department-of-labor-launches-my-skills-my-future_n_706328.html