Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/186837691?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Monday, January 16, 2012
TV One network focuses on missing blacks (AP)
PASADENA, Calif. ? After 16 years playing a police lieutenant on "Law & Order," actress S. Epatha Merkerson is turning to some real-life crime stories.
Merkerson is the narrator for "Find Our Missing," a series that debuts Jan. 18 on the TV One network. It tells stories about black Americans who are missing, hoping to turn up clues that can solve some of the cases.
The series was born out of a pervasive feeling among many blacks that their missing-person cases don't get as much attention as missing-person cases involving whites, particularly attractive young white women.
"The local and regional press does a good job," Wonya Lucas, president and CEO of the cable network aimed at black viewers, said Saturday. "The national press doesn't really cover these stories to the extent that they should, and that's a void that TV One will now fill."
Each hour focuses on two separate cases. Besides Merkerson's narration, producers fill time by re-enacting some scenes with professional actors.
Two people missing since 2009 are featured in the first episode: Pamela Butler, an employee of the Environmental Protection Agency who disappeared from her Washington, D.C., home; and Hasanni Campbell, a 5-year-old boy with cerebral palsy from Oakland, Calif.
"We are painfully aware that these are not just stories," said Donna Wilson, executive producer of the series. "These are people's lives."
Blacks account for 12 percent of the population yet are involved in about a third of the country's missing-persons cases, said Toni Judkins, programming chief at TV One. The network is available in some 56 million homes, or about half the ones that have TV.
Producers are working with the Black and Missing Foundation in helping to bring the cases to light.
The show will encourage tips to law enforcement, hoping to break down some of the attitude that makes people feel like snitches, foundation president Derrica Wilson said. She and the series producer are not related.
Merkerson said she became involved because she realized many of these cases needed the attention.
"It's important for me to give back to the community that has given so much to me," she said.
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Sunday, January 15, 2012
Tricky transfer awaits tanker inching to Alaska (AP)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska ? A Russian tanker is preparing to off-load more than a million gallons of diesel and gasoline to fuel-starved Nome, but first it must position itself near the Alaska town's iced-in harbor to send that cargo through a mile-long hose without a spill.
Led by and a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker, the vessel plowed through hundreds of miles of Bering Sea ice to reach Nome. It was holding steady about eight miles off shore Friday night.
The problem is Nome's harbor is iced-in, preventing the 370-foot tanker Renda from getting to the city dock. It will have to moor offshore to transfer its 1.3-million-gallon payload across the ice and to fuel headers that feed a nearby tank farm.
The Coast Guard Cutter Healy can only get so close to shore because of shallow waters.
Officials want to place the Renda "where there's enough water around it that the Healy can then break the Renda free once the delivery is done," Coast Guard spokesman David Mosley said.
"Out of the safety of the vessels, they're taking the time they need to evaluate where to put the Renda so the operation to shore can be done safely, but then so we can break them free and get them on their way afterward," he said.
For days, operations officials have looked at how best to lay the segmented fuel hose across the shore-fast ice for the transfer. The idea is to get the tanker as close to the harbor as possible to reduce the chance of a spill.
There has been a lot of anxious waiting since the ship left Russia in mid-December. It picked up diesel fuel in South Korea before traveling to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where it took on unleaded gasoline.
Late Thursday, the vessels stopped offshore and began planning the transfer.
A fall storm prevented Nome from getting a fuel delivery by barge in November. Without the tanker delivery, supplies of diesel fuel, gasoline and home heating fuel Nome are expected to run out in March and April, well before a barge delivery again in late May or June.
Nome Mayor Denise Michels sat in her car Friday morning in record-breaking low temperatures and gazed past the harbor entrance. Her eyes focused on the lights coming from the tanker and the icebreaker just before dawn.
"It is right out there. You can see it," she said. "We are pretty excited."
It wasn't immediately clear when the fuel transfer would begin, but University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher Greg Walker said a lot remains to be done before it can occur. Walker is in Nome providing information about ice conditions near the harbor. The tanker needs to get positioned securely in the ice and moored so it won't move during the process. Crews also need to finish removing large boulders of ice in a rubble field and leveling large pressure ridges to create a flat surface for the transfer hose.
Once the tanker gets as close as it safely can to the city dock, the ice will have to be allowed to refreeze to keep the ship stable. Then, the hose's segments will have to be bolted together and inspected before the fuel can begin to flow.
Personnel will walk the entire length of the hose every 30 minutes to check it for leaks. Each segment will have its own spill containment area, and extra absorbent boom will be on hand in case of a spill.
The state is requiring that the fuel transfer be initiated only in daylight hours. The transfer can continue in darkness if there is adequate lighting and other safety considerations, said Betty Schorr, industry preparedness program manager for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
Nome's northern latitude leaves it mostly hidden from the sun this time of year, meaning that after Friday's 11:39 a.m. sunrise, there would be just 5 hours and 4 minutes of sunlight.
The transfer could be finished within 36 hours if everything goes smoothly, but it could take as long as five days, Schorr said. If successful, it would mark the first time fuel has been delivered by sea to a Western Alaska community in winter.
___
Online:
Coast Guard webcam, http://bit.ly/wEsemi
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Saturday, January 14, 2012
Video: Santelli's Morning Bond Report
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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/45971855/
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Financial analyst wins $208M lottery jackpot in NY (AP)
MIDDLE ISLAND, N.Y. ? A Silicon Valley financial analyst came forward Friday on New York's Long Island to claim a $208 million lottery jackpot, saying he had to repeatedly check his winning ticket before realizing he had won.
"It didn't seem real; you just don't believe it," said Daniel Bruckner of San Jose, Calif.
He and his wife, Christine, had been visiting her family on Long Island over Christmas when he bought the winning ticket while shopping for dinner at a supermarket.
His father-in-law had a printout of the winning numbers, he said, but still he went to the lottery website to check the numbers, then called the lottery hotline to check again.
"No one believes it when you first say it," he said, when they tell friends and relatives about their good fortune. "Because you don't believe it yourself."
At a news conference Friday, the couple declined to say exactly where Bruckner worked. They plan to take a lump-sum payment that will leave them with $101 million after taxes, lottery officials said.
"It's very surreal," Bruckner said. "It's exciting, but very surreal."
The winning Mega Millions numbers were drawn Dec. 27.
Bruckner, 35, said he typically shops at the King Kullen supermarket in Middle Island when he is in town.
"I picked up food for dinner and saw how big the jackpot was so I decided to buy a ticket," he explained.
Bruckner said that he plays the Mega Millions game from time to time but that before winning big in December he had never won more "than a few bucks."
Bruckner, born and raised in California, and his wife, who grew up on Long Island, said they have not decided what to do with their money. They declined to say whether they had children.
The winner has some company in the ranks of lottery winners who already work with money. Last year, a trio of Connecticut money managers split a $254 million Powerball jackpot.
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Friday, January 13, 2012
Sunday's NFL Playoff Capsules
DENVER -- Tim Tebow connected with Demaryius Thomas on an electrifying 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime and the Broncos defeated the stunned Steelers 29-23 in the AFC wild-card game on Sunday.
Wild doesn't begin to describe it. The play took 11 seconds and was the quickest ending to an overtime in NFL history.
Thomas hauled in a high play-action pass at the Denver 38, stiff-armed Ike Taylor and then outraced Ryan Mundy to the end zone. Tebow, who looked as startled as everyone else, and knelt on one knee in an end zone - a gesture known as Tebowing. Then he pounded a fist in triumph and took a victory lap.
Behind Tebow's 316 yards passing, the Broncos (9-8) are heading to New England for a second-round game against the top-seeded Patriots on Saturday night.
The Steelers (12-5) lost despite Ben Roethlisberger rallying injury-depleted Pittsburgh from a two-touchdown halftime deficit with 10 points in the final 10 minutes.
Pittsburgh called tails for the overtime coin toss, and it came up heads. Tebow, who engineered five fourth-quarter comebacks and three OT wins in the regular season, wasted no time in finding Thomas to end the game.
GIANTS 24, FALCONS 2
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes and New York ran all over Atlanta in an NFC wild-card game.
Manning, having his best pro season, connected with Hakeem Nicks for a 72-yard score and Mario Manningham on a 27-yarder as the Giants (10-7) pulled away from the inept Falcons (10-7) in the second half.
He also threw a 4-yard TD pass to Nicks in the first half, which came after the quarterback scrambled 14 yards to spark the 85-yard drive.
While Manning came through with touchdown passes, the tempo was set by New York's defense, which never allowed Atlanta to get going, and the league's lowest-ranked rushing game, which ran for a season-high 172 yards. Brandon Jacobs led the way with 92 yards on 14 carries.
The Giants travel to Green Bay next Sunday to play the defending Super Bowl champion Packers (15-1), who beat them 38-35 in December.
Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/08/2580234/sundays-nfl-playoff-capsules.html
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Texas Football 2012: Offseason Storylines
Even though the 2012 Texas football season won't kick off for about nine months (237 days, to be exact) and spring football won't start for another month and a half, it's never too early to start talking about next season, no matter how far away it is.
If the narrative in 2011 focused on the process at the expense of setting aside concerns about the number of games in the win column at the end of the year, the 2012 narrative will throw away that emphasis on the process and return to to the typical Texas standard of a 10-win season, conference championship, and BCS bowl game.
However, besides a little luck, to make that leap the Longhorns will have to find some answers for several offseason storylines.
Can David Ash develop into a competent BCS-level starter?
There's no question that evaluating the body of work from Ash this season only using statistics -- particularly his touchdown-to-interception ratio -- leaves a great deal to be desired, caveats about his status as a true freshman and the lack of repetitions throughout the spring and summer aside.
For the Longhorns to make the jump to what appears to be a SEC-type of attack featuring a strong running game and elite defense will necessarily require Ash to avoid turnovers. Reserve the right to punt, as Bryan Harsin likes to say.
The Holiday Bowl certainly represented a major step forward for Ash in that regard, as he did not throw any passes that were even close to becoming interceptions and generally showed a better awareness for when to take calculated risks and when to simply admit defeat and live for another down by throwing the football away.
While there remain very real and pressing questions about whether Ash can be the quarterback to lead Texas to a shot at competing for a national championship, it's clear that the other pieces are starting to fall into place and that there were some flashes of the talent that could allow Ash to be that guy. There were also some flashes that indicated that he may not be able to make the leap, now or ever.
Still, it's reasonable to predict some growth over the spring and the increase in repetitions for him during that time should pay dividends. At the very least, the spring game should provide a snapshot that adds to the data points generated by the 2011 season to provide some more perspective about the quarterback that Ash can or cannot become.
Who will replace Justin Tucker?
Though he probably does not deserve the same level of consideration for offensive MVP in 2011 as he did in 2010, departing kicker Justin Tucker was unquestionably a major part of the Texas team both seasons, working as the kick-off specialist, place-kicker, and punter.
Given that the coaches would have liked to decrease the pressure on Tucker and the wear on his leg by using another player for at least one of those jobs, it's clear that the players who will be asked to contribute there in 2012 either weren't on campus or simply weren't ready in 2011.
In order of importance, the place-kicking duties could come down to a competition between preferred walk-on Ben Pruitt, an Army All-American last season, and Will Russ, the scholarship from the 2010 class who has yet to make his mark on the 40 Acres. It appears that Pruitt is the odds-on favorite, with incoming scholarship kicker Nick Jordan, an Army All-American this season, more of a longshot. Mack Brown did appear to leave the door open for Jordan to at least have a chance to win the competition, however.
In terms of kickoff duties, Russ has been working there in competition with Pruitt. If there's an area where Jordan could make an immediate impact, it is likely as the kickoff specialist, though at the Army game he was inconsistent, sometimes driving the ball deep into the endzone and with good height, at other times failing to achieve both height and distance.
At punter, Russ will be working to improve his consistency there in an attempt to win the job, with Brown also indicating that David Ash will get a look there, although that would hopefully only be for emergency purposes and to use strategically as a pooch punter on the opponent's side of the field. Recruitocosm also broke the news the other day that Highland Park punter Nick Rose will be a preferred walk-on next season, though he will be enrolling in the fall and therefore have a limited opportunity to take control of the position.
There's more uncertainty in the kicking game going into 2012 then there has been in years and though the talent on campus in the fall will be pretty well regarded as far as evaluating kickers is concerned, all are still completely unproven.
Who will replace Cody Johnson?
One of the underrated storylines of the 2011 season was Cody Johnson's ability to make the transition from short-yardage tailback to fullback, a perhaps overdue move that nonetheless carried with it no assurances that the senior back would show either an aptitude or willingness to play the position.
Fortunately for Texas, Johnson stepped into a leadership role and selflessly showed both an aptitude and a willingness to do the dirty work as a lead blocker. And while he struggled some during the early part of the season, Johnson developed enough throughout the year that he became a major asset and put enough on film to pique the interest of NFL scouts and give himself a strong chance to play at the next level.
If there's a negative, it's that Johnson emerged to the extent that he won't be easy to replace next season. With Jamison Berryhill foregoing his senior season as a result of health concerns, Texas is left with a gaping void at the fullback position that doesn't have a proven answer.
Ryan Roberson is the top candidate to step into the position, but he was inconsistent in limited looks and will need to make serious improvement to provide similar production to Johnson. For what it's worth -- likely little -- Mack Brown did say that Roberson practiced well in preparation for the Holiday Bowl. The only other serious option at this point seems to be Chet Moss, who spent some time at fullback last fall, but was not with the team in San Diego for undisclosed personal reasons.
Before that trip, Harsin indicated that he may use Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown as blockers at times, likely on sweeps out of pro set or Diamond formation looks, but he did shoot down the idea that Bergeron would make a full-time transition to the position, as he has become too valuable now at running back.
The other potential option is to use an H-back as a lead blocker, a tactic that Stanford employed successfully last season. Of those players, it appears that Barrett Matthews would be the best fit -- it's a position he worked at some in preparation for the 2010 season and his lack of size as an in-line blocker has always been a major hindrance, but he is the perfect size for a fullback and has always been known as a willing and able blocker.
Will there be a significant drop-off at linebacker?
Throughout the recent history of Texas football, losing multi-year starters and future NFL players like Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho would be nearly catastrophic. After all, they were the top two tacklers on the team by a significant margin, as well as both ranking in the top four on the team in tackles for loss. More than that, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz trusted them to change plays at the line of scrimmage at the last second, a major boon for a coordinator who always likes to have the last say in the pre-snap chess match.
The good news is that depth at the linebacker position has never been better during the Mack Brown era. So while there is a certain amount of projection that goes into the assessment of the unit in 2012, the outlook is overwhelmingly positive. In fact, as much as Keenan Robinson improved in the middle late in the season taking on blockers, Steve Edmond should be an immediate improvement there after flashing in limited snaps as a freshman. The key with Edmond, as always, will be to keep his weight in the current 260-pound range. Expect Bennie Wylie to make him his personal project.
On the outside, Jordan Hicks showed tremendous improvement in the Holiday Bowl after a mediocre season hampered by a hamstring injury and appears ready to fulfill his five-star potential, while Demarco Cobbs showed off his acceleration chasing down Zach Maynard and will provide Manny Diaz the versatility to stick with a 4-3 front against spread offenses.
By the end of the season, it still seems like a stretch to say this group will be better than the 2011 unit, but it's not out of the question to achieve similar production, albeit in a slightly different manner. The key could be whether Edmond or Hicks can step up to the extent that Diaz will trust them to make last-second changes to the defense to consistently keep the Longhorn defense one step ahead of opposing offenses.
Can the offensive line make another leap?
The 800 yards gained over two weeks against Kansas and Texas Tech represented substantive improvements over what the 2010 offense could have achieved against similar competition, but the results were much more varied against competition that didn't rank among the worst in the country.
Texas will have to replace only one starter along a line that featured a true freshman, redshirt sophomore, redshirt freshman, and sophomore at the other four line positions. Simply the increase in experience and another offseason to work with Bennie Wylie and offensive line coach Stacy Searels should provide improvements, especially when considering that offensive success and the number of starts along the line have a high correlation.
After missing the 2011 offseason following shoulder surgery, Dom Espinosa stands to benefit as much as any lineman from a full offseason, as well as Mason Walters, who was limited by a stress fracture in his foot throughout his early tenure at Texas. Add in Josh Cochran, who essentially walked onto campus and earned a starting job within weeks, and it's easy to project significant gains in overall play based simply on gains in strength.
The two most pressing needs are to find a right tackle to allow Trey Hopkins to move back inside -- which should be filled by incoming JUCO tackle Donald Hawkins -- and to establish greater depth along the rest of the line, which could allow for the starting unit to more consistently perform at a higher level. A healthy Sedrick Flowers should help in that regard, as would development from Paden Kelly or another young player like Garrett Greenlea.
If there's one player who is representative of the collective leap the offensive line needs to make, it's Mason Walters. In the fall, he'll be entering his fourth year in the program after losing much of the first year and a half or so to that stress fracture and although Mack Brown has compared him to Kasey Studdard, right now the parallels rest mostly in attitude rather than on-field success.
A willing and emerging leader, like the rest of the line, Walters desperately needs to improve his consistency to avoid the type of catastrophic negative-yardage plays that often killed drives in 2011.
Where is the tight end prototype that the Harsin offense demands?
To take the next step in the running game, the Longhorns need better blocking from the tight ends at the point of attack, a major struggle last season. Brown acknowledged late in the year that Texas is still looking for that 6-5, 250-pounder who can both run and block, but it's not clear that such a tight end currently exists on the roster.
DJ Grant was slowed late by the knee injury he suffered against Missouri and at his best doesn't have the size or strength to consistently win battles against defensive ends -- that will probably continue to be the case into 2012, although some improvement is certainly possible, if not probable.
With Blaine Irby choosing not to apply for another year of eligibility and Dom Jones unlikely to return to the program after missing the Holiday Bowl due to grade issues, redshirting freshman MJ McFarland looks like the one and only hope for immediate and substantive improvement. But even though he has the ideal size at 6-5 and should be able to stretch the seam and use his ball skills to help out his quarterback, the major question mark for the former high school wide receiver revolves around what he can provide in the blocking game.
As with most of the other issues listed here, practice should provide some insight into what McFarland can do and the spring game will provide the first real viewing of his talents, but the unfortunate reality is that the solution for the tight end position problems may not currently be on campus. With no tight end currently committed in 2012 and the only player on the radar -- Mesquite Horn's Vincent Hobbs -- more of a regional recruit, if there's help coming, it probably won't be until 2013 at the earliest.
Whither the Wildcat?
The injury to Fozzy Whittaker forced Texas to mostly abandon the Wildcat formation throughout the last part of the season and though it seems clear that mega recruit Johnathan Gray will step easily into that role in the fall when he begins practice with the team, his absence in the spring means that to rep the formation, Harsin will have to find another triggerman, at least temporarily.
There don't seem to be any strong indications that Miles Onyegbule or Mykkele Thompson will take time from working at other positions to play in the Wildcat, so that leaves only the incumbent running backs -- Bergeron, Brown, and Jeremy Hills. None are ideal for the formation, but if one of those three can at least emerge as a capable option there, it would both help execution and provide some insurance in case Gray suffers an injury in the fall.
Source: http://www.burntorangenation.com/2012/1/10/2694197/texas-football-2012-offseason-storylines
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