World's most powerful supergun 'can obliterate targets from 100 miles'

The "supergun" can destroy a target from 100 miles away using a bullet that fires at five times the speed of sound.

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The shot fired at the Naval Surface Warfare Centre in Dahigren, Virginia generated 33 megajoules of force out of the barrel.

This is the highest amount ever measured for muzzle energy - the kinetic energy of a bullet as it is expelled from a firearm - and more than three times that previously recorded in January 2008.

The makers claim the electromagnetic railgun fires a 20lb bullet with pinpoint accuracy.

Electrical energy generates the force with which the bullet is fired. At speeds approaching Mach 8 the bullet does not explode on impact but obliterates the target through sheer power.

Military chiefs hope that it will allow warfare to be conducted at greater distances.

Rear Adm. Nevin Carr, chief of naval research, said:"The 33-megajoule shot means the Navy can fire projectiles at least 110 nautical miles, placing sailors and marines at a safe standoff distance and out of harm's way and the high velocities achievable are tactically relevant for air and missile defense.

"This demonstration moves us one day closer to getting this advanced capability to sea."

Tax Cuts Package Poised to Pass in Senate

WASHINGTON -- The tax package negotiated by President Barack Obama and GOP lawmakers   is headed toward passage in the Senate even as House Democrats consider changes to the estate tax.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. meets reporters on Capitol Hill

The bill could be passed and sent to the House by Tuesday. The Senate voted 83-15 Monday evening to advance the package, which would provide a two-year reprieve from tax increases scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1 at all income levels.

"This proves that both parties can in fact work together to grow our economy and look out for the American people," Obama said. "I recognize that folks on both sides of the political spectrum are unhappy with certain parts of the package and I understand those concerns. I share some of them. But that's the nature of compromise."

House Democrats are scheduled to meet in a closed-door caucus Tuesday evening to discuss the package. Last week, House Democratic leaders said they would not schedule a vote on the tax bill without changes to make it less generous to the wealthy.

This week, several Democratic leaders said they may settle for a vote on an amendment that would impose a higher estate tax -- a vote that would face an uncertain outcome.

"I think we're going to have a vote on the Senate bill, with possible changes," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. "We may have it with amendments. We'll see what the process is.

"The most sweeping tax cuts in a generation, enacted under former President George W. Bush, are scheduled to expire Jan. 1. The $858 billion package negotiated by Obama would extend them for two years.

It would also renew a program of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed that is due to lapse within days and enact a one-year cut in Social Security taxes.

"It is a substantial victory for middle-class families across the country who would no longer have to worry about a massive tax hike come Jan. 1," Obama said. "It would offer hope to millions of Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own by making sure that they won't suddenly find themselves out in the cold without the unemployment insurance benefits that they were counting on. And it would offer real tax relief for Americans who are paying for college, parents raising their children and business owners looking to invest in their businesses and propel our economy forward."

At the insistence of Republicans, the plan includes a more generous estate tax provision: The first $5 million of a couple's estate could pass to heirs without taxation, and an additional $5 million for the spouse. The balance would be subject to a 35 percent tax rate.

The lower estate tax infuriated some Democrats who were already unhappy with Obama for agreeing to extend tax cuts for individuals making more than $200,000 and couples making more than $250,000.

The estate tax was repealed for 2010. But under current law, it is scheduled to return next year with a top rate of 55 percent on the portion estates above $1 million -- $2 million for couples.

House Democratic leaders want to bring back the 2009 estate tax levels. That year, individuals could pass $3.5 million to their heirs, tax-free. Couples could pass $7 million, with a little tax planning, and the balance was taxed at a top rate of 45 percent.

Senate Republicans, however, warned that any changes to the estate tax provisions could unravel the deal.

"If the House Democratic leadership decides to make partisan changes, they will ensure that every American taxpayer will see a job-killing tax hike on January 1," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Women’s basketball adds two wins at Classic

Western women’s basketball senior guard Amanda Dunbar won tournament MVP after the Vikings won both games at the 14th Annual WWU Lynda Goodrich Women’s Basketball Classic on Nov. 26 and 27

Senior Lauren Hefflin breaks through two defenders and heads for the basket against Montana State University-Northern Nov. 27. Hefflin scored five points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Dunbar scored a game-high 16 points to help the Vikings defeat Montana State University-Northern 59-36 on Nov. 27, and also scored a game-high 11 points against Cal State University-East Bay as Western went on to win 68-39 on Nov. 26.

Dunbar and teammate Gabby Wade earned all-tournament honors. “I thought [Dunbar] played great,” sophomore center Britt Harris said. “She’s an awesome player and an [important] piece of our team.”

After making six 3-pointers over the tournament, Dunbar is now three 3-point field goals away from tying former Western women’s basketball player Jodie Kaczor’s career 3-point shooting record of 210.

“Being a shooter, you have to keep shooting,” senior center Lauren Hefflin said. “She had a tough time, but she kept shooting, so it got better for her.”

Against Montana, the women earned the rebounding edge 40-25. Hefflin had a game-high nine rebounds and Wade grabbed eight.

“I think rebounding, especially when we’re shooting a bad percentage, gives us second chances,” Hefflin said. “I think keeping the other team off the boards is a good way of limiting their shots. It definitely had a big impact on the win.”

Along with Dunbar’s 16 points, senior guard Megan Pinske tallied 12 points while sophomore guard Corinn Waltrip and junior forward Kristin Schramm both had nine points.

At halftime, Western led 26-18 after being down 10-12 earlier in the half. In the second half the Vikings pulled away, connecting on seven 3-pointers.

In the first game of the Lynda Goodrich Classic, Western defeated Cal State.

Pinske and Dunbar led all scorers with 11 points each, while Waltrip added to the balanced offense with 10 points.

After having a 24-2 run in the first half, Western held a 39-20 halftime lead. In the second half, Cal State could not lower Western’s margin to more than 15 points.

Western once again dominated the boards, out rebounding Cal State, 47-30. Hefflin led all players grabbing  a game-high 10 rebounds.

Even with the rebounding edge in both games, Harris said the team relies on its defense to win games.

“I think our defense determines how we’re playing our game,” Harris said. “Once our defense gets going, our offense kind of follows.”

After winning both games, Western shared the tournament title with Saint Martin’s University.

Western is now 4-0 and is ranked 24th in the latest USA Today/ESPN/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division II Top 25.

Western begins conference play in their next game against Montana State University-Billings at 7 p.m., Dec. 4, at Carver Gym as the Vikings look to stay undefeated.

“It’s a big game.  It’s our first league game,” Hefflin said. “Montana State-Billings has some pretty good players, so were excited to be prepared and play a tough game.”

Leaked documents further indict Iran

A national defense analyst believes the latest release of classified information by an Internet website could force the Obama administration to take more decisive action against the Iranian regime.

The release of more than 250,000 classified State Department documents by WikiLeaks revealed, among other things, that Iranian Red Crescent ambulances were used to smuggle weapons to Lebanon's terrorist group Hezbollah during its 2006 war with Israel. The cables said that the IRC shipments of medical supplies "served also to facilitate weapons shipments."

Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis (USA-Ret.) says these latest leaks could compel the Obama administration to move the issue of Iranian nukes to the front burner.
  

Bob Maginnis

"Certainly these revelations may prompt political pressure on the president to stop the rhetoric and recognize that diplomacy is not going to work with the Iranians," says the Pentagon advisor. "That doesn't mean the Iranians themselves might not decide to stop the program and open up, but that's not likely."

The released documents also revealed that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia repeatedly urged the U.S. to attack Iran to destroy its nuclear program -- to "cut off the head of the snake," the king requested. Maginnis is not surprised by that revelation.

"It confirms what many of us have been saying for a long time," he comments. "That Iran is involved deeply in terrorism, it's very close to North Korea, it has every intent of having nuclear weapons -- and the Arab world is very concerned [about that]."

Still, Maginnis says it is hard to tell how the Obama administration is going to respond to international pressure to deal strongly with Iran.

London's latest transit strike hobbles commuters

LONDON — Britain's biggest city was plunged into disarray and confusion Monday by a 24-hour strike that slashed service on the famed Tube network, one of the world's biggest and busiest subway systems. 

Commuters forced to take to their cars created traffic jams that nearly paralyzed parts of down town London as thousands of union workers stayed home. Bewildered tourists wandered subway and railroad stations. And some people trying to get to work gave up in disgust.

"I could take a bus, but it would take me hours," said London resident Shadie Allyn, a telephone operator who spent five hours trying to get to work before deciding she'd had enough. "Everyone depends on the Tube. They shouldn't be allowed to strike. It's ridiculous."

Monday rush-hour foot traffic hoofs across the London Bridge

By the afternoon, fewer than half of the usual trains were running and dozens of stations were closed, in a network that provides roughly 3.5 million trips a day. 

Seven of the city's 11 subway lines were at least partially closed, requiring passengers to switch lines repeatedly or squeeze into packed buses. University student Elizabeth Bajomo normally would have taken the Tube to a downtown railway station to catch her train. 

Shunted onto the bus Monday, she gave herself 90 extra minutes for the trip — and still missed her train, because buses showed up infrequently and then crawled through congested streets.

"The traffic was horrible," she said. "The Tube is so important. ... It's like the blood of the city."

London's transit system brought in extra buses, deployed an army of staffers to guide passengers and stepped up the water buses that ply the Thames River.

Among those who couldn't turn to the bus was sales manager Matt Matthews, who arrived in London from Paris by train at 10 a.m. and was still trying to get to work three hours later.

"I'm hoping I can get straight to work with no hesitations, but there's lots of traffic," he said, noting that his boss was mad.The strike was the fourth to hit the Tube in the past three months. 

Two labor unions have called the strikes over plans to cut staffing at ticket offices at some Tube stations.Many Londoners now rely on debit-card-like Tube passes that can be charged at automated booths, rather than on tickets purchased from a clerk. 

The union says the job cuts would jeopardize passenger safety and increase the risk of muggings.

"Can't believe the rail unions," London Mayor Boris Johnson tweeted when the latest negotiations broke down Friday.Bob Crow, leader of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, would not rule out the possibility of two- or even three-day strikes in 2011. 

He scoffed at the claims by the transit agency Transport for London that disruption was minimal. "If you believe what is on the TfL website, then you believe in Father Christmas," Crow said Monday. "They are using propaganda to mislead the public."

Transport for London spokesman Ben Pennington dismissed Crow's allegations as "nonsense." At the height of rush hour at 8:30 a.m., 40% of the usual 427 trains were in operation and dozens of stations were closed. While leaders traded blame, Londoners showed patience.

The Tube station close to the north London home of Vishnu Tiwan, a stay-at-home dad, was closed, so he took the bus down town to run errands and then spent at least 35 minutes waiting for his bus home.

The buses are "packed, there are too many queues, too many argumentative people," he said, but he denied he'd been significantly affected. "Londoners have gotten used to it. ... You just crack on with it."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski mounting write-in bid for Senate

Sen. Lisa Murkowski at a June news conference.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she'll mount a write-in campaign in Alaska in an effort to hold onto her seat after last month's stunning Republican primary loss to Joe Miller.

Murkowski made her announcement Friday evening at a rally in Anchorage while surrounded by supporters chanting: "Run, Lisa, Run!"

Murkowski had gone back and forth on whether to re-enter the race since conceding the GOP primary to Miller on Aug. 31. She has said she entertained the possibility of a write-in campaign only after receiving an outpouring of encouragement from Alaskans.

During the primary campaign, the Tea Party-supported Miller cast Murkowski as part of the problem in an out-of-control Washington.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin urged Murkowski on Twitter Friday afternoon to recognize that the state's primary voters demonstrated their support for Joe Miller in last month's election.

"Listen to the people, respect their will," said Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. "Voters chose Joe instead."

The convention center where the rally is being held featured signs reading "Let's Make History," and had a table where people could sign up to help Murkowski's campaign. Prominently displayed, too, was a photo of the late Sen. Ted Stevens with his arm around Murkowski.

Stevens is beloved in this state for bringing billions of dollars in federal aid and project to Alaska, and he was one of her biggest cheerleaders before his death last month.

The decision to launch a write-in bid follows Murkowski's surprise defeat by Miller last month.

Murkowski has said she has considered her options since conceding the race to Miller and following an outpouring of encouragement from Alaskans stunned by her loss.

Earlier this month, she told The Associated Press she wasn't a quitter and "still in this game." On Thursday, she told reporters that while there's a lot of risk involved in a run, success was possible.

"And I think this is the hope that Alaskans have been sharing with me," she said, "that if it is possible, Lisa, will you give it a try? Will you give us a choice?"

 In running, Murkowski would face long odds. Historians and election officials can think of no Alaska candidate who has successfully run as a write-in.She also has lost support from within the Republican establishment with some leaders urging her either to wait to challenge Alaska's Democratic Sen. Mark Begich in 2014 or to join them in supporting Miller, the self-described "constitutional conservative" who also has been endorsed by Sarah Palin. Murkowski also would have just has over six weeks to gear up a campaign and turn out the vote.

But she also enjoys widespread name recognition, and her campaign estimates she has about $1 million left in the bank. Plus, the race features a "kind of perfect storm of the things you need for a write-in to be successful," pollster Ivan Moore said. Among those, he said: a vast middle of Alaskans — "tens of thousands" — looking between Miller and Democrat Scott McAdams and questioning their choices.

The largest bloc of registered voters in Alaska are nonpartisan and undeclared.Heather Handyside, a spokeswoman for McAdams, said McAdams welcomed Murkowski to the race. She said the campaign didn't see how it was "statistically possible" for Murkowski to win and that her entry doesn't change McAdams' strategy at all.

"He still respects Sen. Murkowski but he knows it's impossible for her to win," she said.Political observers say that, to win, Murkowski would have to be far more aggressive than she was in the primary, when she touted the benefits of her seniority for Alaska and ran largely on her record. Miller cast her as part of the problem in an out-of-control Washington, and the California-based Tea Party Express, which reported spending more than $550,000 in support of Miller, called her a liberal Republican in name only and repeated stated in seemingly ubiquitous ads claims that she opposed repeal of the federal health care overhaul — claims she called false but didn't challenge until late.

Murkowski recently called the Tea Party Express an "extremist" group and said it has "hijacked" the state GOP. The group responded that it would work twice as hard as it did in the primary to defeat her if she ran as a write-in.To successfully run, Moore said, she "has to attack ... forcibly in both directions," pushing Miller "relentlessly to the far right" and painting McAdams, a small-town mayor as "not ready for this."

Carl Shepro, a political science professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, said she would have a good shot at victory, despite what history shows.

"No question it's going to be a tough thing, it's not going to be easy at all," he said. "But, hey, at some point, somebody has to be able to do it even though the arguments are pretty much in the opposite direction."

Obama names Warren to set up consumer protection agency

President Obama announces the appointment of Elizabeth Warren as assistant to the president and special adviser to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in the Rose Garden of the White House.

WASHINGTON — President Obama named Wall Street critic Elizabeth Warren a special adviser Friday and tasked her with setting up an agency to look out for consumers in their dealings with banks, mortgage companies and other financial institutions.

Calling Warren "one of the country's fiercest advocates for the middle class," Obama said she would ensure the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ends abusive practices.

"Never again will folks be confused or misled by pages of barely understandable fine print that you find in agreements for credit cards or mortgages or student loans," he said, standing alongside Warren and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in the Rose Garden.

THE OVAL: More on Obama's appointment

Obama credited Warren with developing the concept of the consumer agency, and said, "It only makes sense that she should be the architect."

Obama did not nominate Warren to be the bureau's director, however.Instead he is creating a role that allows her to avoid a lengthy confirmation fight with Senate Republicans who view her as too critical of Wall Street and big banks. 

The business and banking community also opposed Warren as director, believing she would make the agency too aggressive.

Warren designed the advisory role during long conversations with White House officials, a person familiar with her thinking said. The person insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.

The 61-year-old Harvard professor can assume her duties immediately, leading a team of Treasury officials already laying the groundwork for the bureau. Obama said Warren would eventually help him choose the agency's chief.

The financial regulation law creating the bureau gives the Treasury Department authority to run it while the nomination of its director is pending. The bureau won't write rules restricting mortgages or credit cards until it assumes power from other agencies — a move planned for July 21, 

2011, according to a memo Friday from Geithner.

Until then, it will be hiring staff, creating the new offices and conducting research to inform later rule-making activities, the memo says. That means Warren may not get much say in the two bureau powers banks fear the most: onsite monitoring of the largest banks, and writing rules to restrict products deemed unfair or deceptive.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd, who had questioned whether Warren would have enough support to win confirmation, said Thursday the White House was within its rights to name Warren as an adviser and expert.

But he added on Bloomberg television, "We need a director. We've got to have someone who is confirmable. The law requires that there be a director of this bureau of consumer financial protection and that that nominee be confirmed by the Senate."

Asked whether Warren would effectively be serving in that capacity, Dodd replied: "You can't do that. You'll end up with too much opposition. ... I'd be totally opposed to someone on a backdoor operation here."

Warren has spent the past two years running the Congressional Oversight Panel, charged with monitoring the Treasury Department's handling of the $700 billion bank rescue fund known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program. She stepped down from the panel just after Friday's Rose Garden announcement.

Arlington National Cemetery finds more mismarked graves

Remains in the soldier's grave were discovered not to be those of that soldier

Washington  -- More graves in Arlington National Cemetery have been discovered to be mismarked after remains were exhumed last month, the Army said Wednesday.

At the request of a deceased soldier's next of kin, one grave was investigated and the remains were discovered to not be the deceased soldier in question. 

The investigation found discrepancies that concerned two sets of remains, the Army said.The Army said the errors were immediately addressed.

"All families involved with this indicated that all discrepancies have been fixed to their satisfaction," said a statement released by Army spokesperson Gary Tallman. The Army did not clarify the situation beyond the statement.

The national cemetery has been engulfed in scandal since June, when the Army released a report that detailed gross mismanagement of the cemetery. 

The investigation cited missing burial records, hundreds of mismarked graves and burial urns put in a spillage pile, where dirt dug up for grave sites is left.

During a Senate subcommittee hearing one senator suggested as many as 6,600 graves at Arlington Cemetery may be "unmarked, improperly marked or mislabeled,"

The statement released by Tallman said the Army deeply regrets the mistakes that were made and acknowledges that Army leadership expects additional errors to come to light as Arlington works to address the problems cited in the report.

Some 330,000 veterans and their family members are buried at the historic site, overlooking the nation's capital.

Police: Washington state woman made up acid attack story

Police in Vancouver, Washington, say Bethany Storro has admitted her injuries were self-inflicted

A 28-year-old woman who said an unknown assailant threw a cup of caustic liquid in her face has admitted her injuries were self-inflicted, Vancouver, Washington, police said Thursday.

Bethany Storro was being interviewed by detectives, and whether she will be charged will be up to prosecutors, police said.

"She is extremely upset," said police Commander Marla Schuman. "She is very remorseful. In many ways it got bigger than she expected."

Police would not speculate on Storro's motives, only saying the August 30 incident did not occur as she described and that there were discrepancies in her account, including wearing sunglasses in the evening.

They also had questions about the liquid's splash patterns on Storro's face.Officers acquired a search warrant and conducted a search Thursday morning. They removed several undisclosed items, but said they did not find a substance that might have caused her injuries.

Vancouver had searched for an assailant, described as an African-American woman with an athletic build and slicked-back hair pulled into a pony tail.

Storro was released from an Oregon hospital on September 5 after undergoing surgery for her injuries after the alleged attack.

Police spent hundreds of hours on the case and the community came together to offer donations for Storro's treatment.

"It has had an impact on our community," said Police Chief Clifford Cook. "It has brought negative attention on our community that is undeserved."

Storro's family was also being interviewed, police said. They described her as being in a fragile mental state.

Storro credited a new pair of sunglasses -- which she said she bought just 20 minutes before the attack -- with saving her eyesight.

"God is watching over me," Storro, of Vancouver, told CNN affiliate KATU in Portland, Oregon, at the time. "I believe in him. That his hands are on me and I can't live the rest of my life like that -- in fear. I can't let what she did to me wreck my life."

Storro told KATU that she had stopped at a Vancouver Starbucks about 7:15 p.m., just after she had gone back to buy a pair of sunglasses that she had seen earlier. The woman walked up to her and said, "Hey pretty girl, do you want to drink this?"

When Storro declined, the woman threw the contents of the cup in her face and ran off, Storro claimed at the time.

Man kills mother, self at Baltimore hospital after wounding doctor

Police: Gunman shoots self, mother

Baltimore, Maryland  -- A man distraught about his mother's health shot and wounded a doctor at Baltimore's prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital on Thursday before killing his mother and taking his own life, police said.

The gunman was getting an update on his mother's medical condition "when he became emotionally distraught" and pulled a pistol out of his waistband, Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld said. He shot the doctor, then retreated to his mother's room, Bealefeld told reporters.

Police moved in and closed off the floor after the shooting, which occurred shortly after 11 a.m. About 1:30 p.m., after nearly two and a half hours with no contact with the gunman, officers used a robot to peer into the room and when it was determined there was no movement, police entered to find the suspect and his mother dead, Bealefeld said. No officers reported hearing gunshots, but both mother and son had single gunshot wounds to their heads, he said.

"At this point we are treating this case as a murder-suicide," Bealefeld said.Police identified the mother as Jean Davis, age 84, and her son as Paul Warren Pardus, age 50, of Arlington, Virginia. Pardus had no prior criminal record beyond traffic violations, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.The doctor, whose name was not released, was rushed to surgery for an abdominal wound and is expected to survive, Guglielmi said.

"He's in the best place he could ever be," Guglielmi said, referring to the hospital.

Bealefeld initially identified the gunman as Warren Davis. Hospital officials said they could not disclose any details about what illness afflicted the gunman's mother, citing federal privacy laws.

Johns Hopkins Hospital, which first opened in 1889, is part of a $5 billion medical system, according to its website. The 982-bed facility has consistently earned the top spot in U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings of more than 4,800 American hospitals, placing first in five medical specialties, among other things.

Harry Koffenberger, the hospital's security chief, said the roughly 80,000 visitors who come to the hospital each week are issued wristbands. Only "high-risk" patients get screened with hand-held magnetometers, he said.

"We have over 80 doors, loading docks and emergency exits on these campus buildings," Koffenberger said. "So to put a magnetometer at 80 doors, and the required armed force that would need to be staffing the magnetometers, is not realistic."

Authorities evacuated part of the hospital after the shooting, and Bealefeld said the facility's security plan "worked as designed" to protect patients, staff and visitors. The hospital "asked employees, visitors, patients and caregivers to stay in rooms or offices until further notice" restricted access to the main hospital building after the shooting, it said in a statement.Earlier, police said officers shot and killed the gunman, but later said that account was incorrect.

Boston prosecutors to release 'Craigslist killer' file

Accused "Craigslist killer" Phillip Markoff killed himself in jail in August.

Prosecutors in Boston, Massachusetts, say they plan to release their files on accused "Craigslist killer" Phillip Markoff, who killed himself in jail in August, after formally dropping the murder case against him on Thursday.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's office said Wednesday it plans to file paperwork requesting a dismissal of their case Thursday morning. The case was short-circuited when Markoff took his own life August 15, but District Attorney Daniel Conley said at the time that the evidence against the suspect was "overwhelming."

Conley is slated to discuss the case with reporters Thursday morning after requesting the case be dropped, a move his office said will set the stage for the release of "all relevant documents" at an unspecified later date.

"Prosecutors are currently reviewing and redacting those documents and assembling the physical evidence," the district attorney's office said in a statement issued Wednesday. "We expect that it will be ready for media review within the next few weeks."

Markoff, 24, was a second-year student at Boston University's School of Medicine when arrested in April 2009 in the killing of Julissa Brisman, 25, at Boston's Copley Marriott Hotel. Police said that Brisman, a model, advertised as a masseuse on the online classifieds service Craigslist, and Markoff might have met her through the site.

Authorities said Markoff killed himself in his jail cell by cutting himself multiple times with a makeshift scalpel crafted from a pen and a piece of metal. In addition, a large, clear plastic bag of a type issued to inmates was fastened around his neck with a piece of gauze.

The name of his former fiancee, who called off their wedding after his arrest, was scrawled in what appeared to be blood on the wall of his cell when he was found, Conley told reporters at the time. 

Several hurt in fire at Tennessee plant

"flash fire" at a plant in west-central Tennessee

Several people were injured in a "flash fire" at a plant in west-central Tennessee that makes decoy flares for the military, officials said Tuesday.

The incident occurred at Kilgore Flares Co. in Hardeman County, about 75 miles northeast of Memphis, said Jeremy Heidt, spokesman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

Three hospitalized employees received burns and one was treated for stress, the company said. But hospitals said they were treating six people, three of them in critical condition.

The plant in Toone, Tennessee, makes materials that are flammable but not explosive, Heidt said.

United Kingdom-based Chemring Group, which owns Kilgore Flares, said the fire started at 12:30 p.m. in one of its "expendable countermeasures assembly facilities."

Due to the nature of the materials involved, and its proximity to other materials, the emergency services consider it is best to let the fire burn itself out, Chemring said in a statement. "Once the fire is extinguished, an investigation into the cause of the incident will be undertaken in cooperation with the local authorities."

The Regional Medical Center at Memphis has received three patients, two of them flown in, said executive secretary Jackie Harris. All three were in critical condition with unspecified injuries, she said.

Three others were at Bolivar General Hospital in good condition, said spokeswoman Kay Cranford of West Tennessee Healthcare.

A receptionist who answered the phone at Kilgore said no local spokesman was available.

According to its website, Kilgore Flares makes decoy flares for aircraft and naval forces, many of which are used as countermeasures against heat-seeking missiles. Kilgore Flares is one of the county's largest employers, Hardeman County Mayor Willie Spencer said.

A nearby elementary school was locked down after the early afternoon incident and several hundred Kilgore employees were sent home, Spencer said.

Kilgore Flares was levied $200,000 in penalties for several violations after an employee was fatally burned in a 2001 explosion and fire, according to Occupational Safety & Health Administration records.

WTO to rule on Boeing subsidies

WTO to rule on Boeing subsidies

The World Trade Organization is expected to rule Wednesday that huge subsidies paid to Boeing since the early 1990s are illegal, say media following the dispute.

The ruling would equalize the score in the epic legal fight between Chicago-based Boeing and France-based Airbus SAS, said the Telegraph of London.

The WTO will give its opinion to the United States and the European Union, which filed counter-cases in September 2004.

The EU claims Boeing received $24 billion in illicit aid, including $16 billion in grants from NASA and $2.1 billion in export tax discounts, plus subsidies from the Pentagon.

The panel also is likely to condemn $5.7 billion in aid for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, the Telegraph said.

In June, the WTO ruled on the U.S. complaint and found Airbus benefited from $4 billion in support from European governments to launch the A280 superjumbo jet, Bloomberg News reported.

The EU in 2007 claimed the U.S. support, plus support from state governments, "clearly aims at weakening Airbus’ position and competitiveness and boosting that of Boeing,” Bloomberg said.

Businessweek said Airbus views the cases as key to resolving a wider dispute over government aid to aircraft makers.

But Boeing disagrees, Businessweek said, quoting Ted Austell, vice president, trade policy at Boeing: "The two cases are completely separate and deal with very specific issues. The WTO ruled very clearly at the end of June that all government money provided to Airbus for development of new aircraft was an illegal subsidy and must stop. That debate is over and it is time for compliance. Should the WTO find against U.S. practices, Boeing is prepared to accept compliance with the ruling."

Airbus has a different point of view, Businessweek reported."Only with two reports on the table will there be a window for a balanced discussion, which will be the only way out of this destructive and anachronistic dispute," Airbus spokeswoman Maggie Bergsma told the magazine.

U.S. Border Patrol Agents in 'Firefight' With Mexican Gang

U.S. Border Patrol vehicle drives along the fence separating the U.S. from Mexico, near Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.

U.S. Border Patrol agents fired gunshots into Mexico after coming under attack during a half-ton drug bust and giving chase to a truck along the Rio Grande, U.S. authorities said Monday.

No Border Patrol agents were hurt during the "fire fight" early Saturday in Mission, agency spokeswoman Rosalinda Huey said. She did not say whether Border Patrol gunfire hit anyone, citing the ongoing investigation.

"The firing they received came from the Mexican side," Huey said.

Huey said several Border Patrol agents, at least some of whom were patrolling in boats, were seizing a half-ton of marijuana when they came under gunfire. Federal officials said the shots from Mexico began when a truck that was being chased by another group of Border Patrol agents entered the area.

FBI special agent Jorge Cisneros said the truck, which was on the U.S. side, appeared to be connected to the drug seizure. He said the gunfire from Mexico was a "direct result" of Border Patrol agents doing their jobs.Cisneros described the shootout as brief.

"We're obviously concerned with what happened, that they would be shooting from the Mexico side to us," Cisneros said.

Federal officials did not release how many agents were involved, how many shots were fired or the number of shooters on the Mexico side. Cisneros said the FBI was working with Mexico authorities, including the Mexican military and the Tamaulipas state police, to determine what happened.

It was at least the second time in three months that Border Patrol agents in Texas have fired into Mexico. In June, a Border Patrol agent fatally shot a 15-year-old Mexican boy after authorities say a group trying to illegally enter Texas threw rocks at officers near downtown El Paso.

Reports of bullets whizzing across the border from Mexico also are on the rise. At least eight bullets have been fired into El Paso in the last few weeks from the rising violence in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where drug violence has killed more than 4,000 people since 2009, making it one of the deadliest cities in the world.

Cisneros said he can recall a handful of times in the last few years that gunfire from Mexico has crossed over the border. He said Border Patrol agents "have always been very good about not shooting back unless there is a life-threatening situation."

Huey who would not say whether the agents involved in the shooting still were on patrol. She said agents are authorized to fire their weapons any time they feel lives are at risk, even into Mexico.

"As long as our agents feel their life is in danger, they are allowed lethal (force)," she said.

Shots fired into Mexico by U.S. Border Patrol agents

Agents seized over 1,000 pounds of marijuana during the incident, according to Huey

U.S. Border Patrol agents fired gunshots into Mexico over the weekend after being attacked during a marijuana seizure in Mission, Texas, the agency told CNN on Monday.

The incident between border patrol agents and alleged drug traffickers took place around 7:40 a.m. Saturday, Border Patrol spokeswoman Rosalinda Huey said.

"Our agents were being fired upon and they did respond with fire back into Mexico," she said. "I don't have the number of how many people were involved. But none of our agents were injured."

Agents seized over 1,000 pounds of marijuana during the incident, according to Huey. The incident is under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Mexican government, Huey said.

"At this point we don't know what cartel it's tied to or if it's just an unaffiliated source. We're not attributing it to anybody right now," she said.

Although attacks against border patrol agents are not uncommon, assaults against agents have decreased in the last fiscal year, she said.

Mission is a small border town in the Rio Grande Valley near McAllen, Texas.

Border patrol agents this year have seized more than 800,000 pounds of marijuana in this area, Huey said.

In June, a border patrol agent in El Paso, Texas, fired into Mexico killing a 15-year-old from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Surveillance video of the incident showed the teen throwing rocks at the agent before being shot.

Maragh starts fall season with triple at Belmont Park

Jamaican reinsman Rajiv Maragh in action aboard Operation Red Dawn at Belmont Park, New York, last season.

NEW YORK, USA (CMC) — Rajiv Maragh opened the fall season of racing at Belmont Park with a treble on Saturday's 10-race card.The Jamaica-born jockey was one of the leading reinsmen during the spring/summer meet, which ended at this track on July 18.

Maragh got into the frame early, with a comfortable five-length victory in the US$45,000 second race over 1,200 metres on the inner turf aboard the 4-1 chance Atlantic Voyage.The 25-year-old jockey lightly urged the two-year-old, chestnut filly to take charge after the start, and she set all the fractions to get under the wire in one minute, 09.05 seconds.

Maragh then added the US $39,000 sixth race going 1,600m on the main turf course with the 3-1 bet Sky Blue Pink, which won by a neck.He kept the three-year-old, chestnut colt at a reserved pace along the inside route, and then angled him three-wide into the lane to commence the drive for the line.

They closed on the leader inside the straight, drawing abreast at the sixteenth pole before proving best a couple of jumps prior to the end to clock one min, 35.17 secs.Maragh corked a fine day with another narrow victory in a time of 1:11.54 astride the 8-1 shot Port Royal in the US$18,000 eighth race over 1,200m on the dirt.

Traffic congestion hampered Maragh and the six-year-old, chestnut ridgling in the middle of the race, but they got clear before reaching the quarter pole, and took the leader out at the sixteenth pole to edge away to win by a neck.

USA. Small business, tax cuts and economy dominate pre-election Congressional work period

USA Pre-Election Congressional

As Congress reconvenes on September 13 in advance of the mid-term elections, typical legislative business is likely to be complicated by substantial pre-election partisan posturing. Major agenda items include an NMMA-backed small business bill that languished before the recess over procedural concerns.  The Senate version of this (Landrieu-Baucus-Reid) legislation, H.R. 5297, includes an extension of the Small Business Administration Dealer Floorplan Financing Program (DFP) for three years, and would increase SBA loan caps for dealer floorplan financing to $5M, eliminate SBA fees and make other improvements that will enhance credit availability for floorplans and other business credit. The legislation also includes more than $12 Billion in Small Business Tax Relief, as well as an NMMA-backed Small Business Lending Fund that would make available $30B for small business lending. 

Part of the small business debate is likely to include an amendment to repeal new Sec. 1099 reporting requirements passed as part of the recent Health Care bill. Under the new law, companies are required to send a 1099 tax form to other businesses for all purchases over $600. NMMA strongly supports the repeal of this provision. The Senate is expected to take up this bill for floor votes on September 14. 

In addition, Congress will likely consider a broad range of Bush-era tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year. While the President would extend the cuts for those earning under $250,000, Republican leaders are calling for a two-year extension of all tax cuts. NMMA strongly supports the full extension of existing tax rates (read NMMA and partners’ letter to Congress here). Congress will also consider permanently extending and strengthening the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit, which NMMA also supports. Finally, President Obama’s recent call for $50 billion in transportation and infrastructure spending may receive some debate, but Republicans and some Democrats have come out strongly against the proposal, and it is unlikely to gain traction. Congress will adjourn October 8 and Members will return home to campaign