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31、Report: Los Alamos security flawed By DEBORAH BAKER, Associated Press Writer
Wed Nov 29, 3:07 AM ET



SANTA FE, N.M. - The tens of millions of dollars spent to upgrade security at Los Alamos National Laboratory make the findings of an investigation into a recent security breach at the nuclear weapons lab even more troubling, says the Energy Department's inspector general.

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In a two-page memo, Inspector General Gregory H. Friedman said security at Los Alamos was "seriously flawed" when a worker removed classified documents later found in her home during a drug bust last month.

In a number of key areas, security policies at the nuclear weapons lab were nonexistent, not followed or were applied inconsistently, according to Friedman's summary of his investigation.

Cyber-security internal controls and safeguards were not functioning as intended, and monitoring by the lab and federal officials was inadequate, he said.

Friedman called his findings "especially troubling" because the department has spent so much money on improving security in recent years and because previous security lapses were part of the reason the department put the lab's management contract out for bid.

Since June, the lab ― operated for decades by the University of California ― has been run by a team comprised of UC, Bechtel National, BWX Technologies and Washington Group International.

Energy Secretary     Samuel Bodman said Tuesday that the report outlines "some significant deficiencies and vulnerabilities" that the agency will quickly address.

"Unfortunately we cannot correct the errors of the past. But we will learn from this incident and we will do better," Bodman said in a statement.

The department did not release the report itself, which Bodman said contained information the department is prohibited by law from publicly disclosing.

Classified documents were found Oct. 17 at the home of Jessica Quintana, 22, a former employee of a lab subcontractor. A man who was renting a room at her home was jailed on drug and probation charges.

Quintana's lawyer, Stephen Aarons, has said the classified data was contained on a portable computer storage drive and in about 200 pages of paper documents.

Aarons says Quintana, an archivist who was converting lab documents to an electronic format, took the information home to catch up on work. He says she never showed it to anyone and there was no espionage involved.

LANL officials have said none of the material was top secret, nor did it contain the most sensitive nuclear weapons information. They said most of the documents were classified at the lowest levels and were 20 to 30 years old.

Quintana, who was laid off by the subcontractor about a month before the documents were discovered, hasn't been charged.

Lab Director Michael Anastasio said in a statement Tuesday that the lab has taken a number of security steps, including barring portable electronic storage devices in classified computing areas.

All classified scanning activities have been temporarily halted, and physical searches have been increased, with random searches occuring an average of more than 100 times daily, Anastasio said.

The lab's high-profile security problems include the case of scientist     Wen Ho Lee, who pleaded guilty in 2000 to one count of mishandling nuclear secrets. In 2004, the lab was essentially shut down after an inventory showed that two computer disks containing nuclear secrets were missing. A year later the lab concluded that it was a mistake and that the disks never existed.

32、Panel recommends firing gay fire chief Tue Nov 28, 8:31 PM ET



MINNEAPOLIS - A city panel recommended Tuesday that officials fire Bonnie Bleskachek, the nation's first openly lesbian big-city fire chief, in the wake of firefighter lawsuits accusing her of harassment and discrimination.

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Bleskachek had earlier agreed to step down. But the city's executive council unanimously rejected a negotiated deal after a closed-door meeting.

"She was pretty stunned because it was a complete surprise," said Bleskachek's attorney, Jerry Burg.

Mayor R.T. Rybak had announced the agreement in a letter to the city's executive council in which he wrote that he no longer had confidence in Bleskachek as chief. Neither Rybak nor City Council members would immediately explain why the deal was blocked.

Bleskachek, 43, was hailed as a trailblazer when she was promoted to the top job two years ago, but her tenure has been troubled.

Three female firefighters have sued, alleging various acts of discrimination and sexual harassment. Two of the lawsuits were settled, but this month a male firefighter brought another lawsuit alleging he was denied advancement because he is male and not gay.

A city investigation is still under way. This summer, a separate investigation by the city's Department of Civil Rights into a 2003 complaint by a male firefighter ― brought when Bleskachek was a battalion chief ― found it "likely" that the department gave preferential treatment to lesbians or those who socialized with them.

Bleskachek was ill with the flu Tuesday and unavailable for comment on the severance agreement. She has denied wrongdoing in the past.

Her attorney, Jerry Burg, said the chief's employment agreement calls for her to be reassigned as battalion chief. She would then request a demotion to captain, he said. The agreement, Burg said, included a cash payment of $30,000 to $40,000 ― the difference in annual pay between a chief and captain.

Rybak aide Jeremy Hanson said before the panel's meeting it was not a "certainty" that Bleskachek would remain with the department.

The city has spent more than $410,000 on the investigation, legal settlements and compensation of Bleskachek during her paid leave, which began March 22.

33、 Van crash in Colo. kills 4, police say Tue Nov 28, 8:59 PM ET



IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. - A minivan that authorities suspect was being used to smuggle illegal immigrants crashed on a highway Tuesday, killing four people and putting 10 in the hospital, police said. The driver fled on foot but was captured.

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None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, a hospital spokesman said.

The van lost control on a curve on Interstate 70, struck a tree and rolled, ejecting most of the occupants, said Ron Watkins, Colorado State Patrol master trooper. Snow had fallen in the area, about 20 miles west of Denver, but the roads were in good condition, he added.

The driver ran off but was found about four hours later, Watkins said. Federal immigration agents were to take him into custody, he said.

A spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the van is suspected of being involved in immigrant smuggling.

The van "fits the pattern" of illegal immigrant smuggling because of the number of people it was carrying, Watkins said. He had no information on the occupants' citizenship.

Nine adults and one minor were taken to St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver, spokeswoman Bev Lilly said.

34、Suspect: Reports of T-day killing 'lies' By MARCUS WOHLSEN, Associated Press Writer
Tue Nov 28, 7:38 PM ET



OAKLAND, Calif. - One of two brothers charged in the shooting deaths of three in-laws during Thanksgiving dinner told a packed courtroom Tuesday that the accusations against him weren't true and that he acted in self-defense.

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"Whatever is in the newspaper, it's all lies," Asmerom T. Gebreselassie, 43, said during an arraignment Tuesday.

He added that the incident was a matter of self-defense before sheriff's deputies led him from the courtroom.

Gebreselassie and his brother Tewodros Gebreselassie, 39, could face the death penalty if convicted of charges that include murder, attempted murder and kidnapping. Both were being held without bail.

They did not enter pleas Tuesday.

Police and relatives said the shootings were revenge for the March death of the suspects' brother, Abraham Gebreselassie, 42. The defendants believed their sister-in-law, 28-year-old Winta T. Mehari, was somehow responsible for his death.

According to accounts from police and relatives, Tewodros Gebreselassie was having Thanksgiving dinner with the Mehari family when he let his brother into the apartment. Asmerom Gebreselassie is accused of opening fire with two guns, killing Mehari; her brother, Yonas Mehari, 17, a student at Berkeley High School; and their mother, Regbe Baharengasi, 50, of Oakland.

Relatives of the victims said Abraham Gebreselassie died of a heart attack, but the Alameda County coroner's office never found a specific cause of death, a spokesman said.

A cousin of the victims called Asmerom Gebreselassie's claims "a joke."

"If you're caught red-handed, how can you just even have the attitude to say that?" said Fitsum Keflezighi, 34.

The victims and defendants are immigrants from Eritrea. About 7,000 Eritrean immigrants settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the largest Eritrean-American communities outside Washington, D.C. About 2,000 live in Oakland, many in the neighborhood where the shootings took place. Violence among the population is rare, community members said after the shootings.

35、Christian Coalition pres.-elect leaves Tue Nov 28, 12:17 PM ET



ORLANDO, Fla. - The president-elect of the Christian Coalition of America has declined the job, saying the organization wouldn't let him expand its agenda beyond opposing abortion and gay marriage.

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The Rev. Joel Hunter, who was scheduled to take over the socially conservative group in January from Roberta Combs, said he had hoped to focus on issues such as poverty and the environment.

"These are issues that Jesus would want us to care about," said Hunter, a senior pastor at Northland Church in Longwood, Fla.

Hunter announced his decision not to take the job during an organization board meeting Nov. 21. A statement issued by the group said Hunter left because of "differences in philosophy and vision." Hunter said he was not asked to leave.

"They pretty much said, 'These issues are fine, but they're not our issues, that's not our base,'" Hunter said.

His resignation is the latest setback for the once-powerful group.

The Christian Coalition, founded in 1989 by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, became one of the nation's most powerful conservative groups during the 1990s, but it has faced complaints in recent years about its finances, leadership and plans to veer into nontraditional policy areas. The group claims more than 2 million members.

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On the Net:

http://www.cc.org/

36、Man pleads guilty in plan to aid Taliban By JOE STINEBAKER, Associated Press Writer
Tue Nov 28, 6:34 PM ET



HOUSTON - A Houston man pleaded guilty after he and a Pakistani living illegally in the United States were charged with conspiring to join the Taliban and fight against U.S. forces, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

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Kobie Diallo Williams, 33, and Adnan Babar Mirza, 29, underwent training in guns and reconnaissance in the Houston area in preparation for joining up with the Taliban, prosecutors said.

The two men were charged with conspiracy. Mirza, a Pakistani who overstayed a student visa, also was charged with violating federal gun laws.

Williams, a U.S. citizen and a student also known as Abdul Kabir, surrendered Tuesday to members of the     FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to the conspiracy charge. Mirza was already in custody on immigration violations.

"While these subjects did not operate at a high level of sophistication in comparison with the 9-11 hijackers, the expressed goal was to aid the Taliban by training to carry out jihad against coalition troops in the Middle East," said Roderick Beverly, the head of the FBI's Houston office.

Federal prosecutors also said Williams had provided about $350 to Taliban members or their families.

Williams' attorney, Alamdar S. Hamdani, said Williams chose not to fight the charges.

"He made a grave mistake," said Hamdani. "And he has come forward to own up to that."

Prosecutors could not say on Tuesday whether Mirza had an attorney.

Williams and Mirza were held without bail. Williams could get up to five years in prison, Mirza 35 years.

The indictment said Williams and Mirza viewed U.S. and coalition forces in     Afghanistan and     Iraq as "invaders" and decided in April 2005 that they should travel to the Middle East to fight with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

37、Mother gets life for adopted son's death By DAVID EGGERT, Associated Press Writer
Tue Nov 28, 11:27 AM ET



LANSING, Mich. - A woman who hit her 7-year-old adopted son on the head with a hammer and didn't seek help while the boy slowly died was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without possibility of parole.

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Lisa Holland, 33, was convicted in October of first-degree murder, and the sentence was mandatory.

Ingham County Circuit Judge Paula Manderfield choked back tears ― as she did earlier this month when sentencing Holland's husband, Tim Holland, to 30 to 60 years in prison for his role in the death of Ricky.

"Basically you buried your dog, but you threw away your child," Manderfield told Lisa Holland, citing trial testimony.

The case led to ongoing scrutiny of the state's child protection system and whether workers did enough to protect Ricky and his siblings.

The Hollands initially claimed Ricky had run away from home in July 2005, sparking a nine-day search by 1,700 volunteers and hundreds of law enforcement officers.

In January, Tim Holland led police to the body in a rural area and admitted dumping his son's remains. He told authorities his wife hit Ricky in the head with a hammer while he was away from home.

Holland said nothing as she was sentenced. "Lisa Holland is going to be punished, the jury has spoken. Lisa Holland wishes to maintain her silence," said Mike Nichols, one of her attorneys.

Tim Holland testified that his wife had abused the boy for years, restraining him with ropes in the basement. He said the boy was listless and unable to walk in the last week of his life ― not eating, drinking, walking or talking and smelling like urine.

The Hollands became Ricky's foster parents in 2000 and adopted him in 2003. They also adopted Ricky's three younger siblings and had a child of their own.

38、 5 Texas truck stop deaths reported By ELIZABETH WHITE, Associated Press Writer
Tue Nov 28, 7:33 PM ET



SAN ANTONIO - When two bodies were found in a rig at a truck stop on the well-traveled route to Houston, some drivers figured it was an accident ― maybe carbon monoxide poisoning. When another body was discovered there weeks later, they called it a mystery.

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But now that two more bodies have been found at two truck stops, they are getting worried.

"You're scaring me now," said trucker Steve Fancher of Tulsa, Okla., when told of the grisly discoveries. "I'd better get on out of here."

So far, investigators have not established what killed the five or whether the deaths are related. But police said they might have been victims of a bad batch of drugs.

"Our experience would lead us to believe that ... this may be a case that somebody's either selling narcotics there or providing narcotics that may be laced with anything that could be lethal," said San Antonio police Sgt. Gabe Trevino. "It's just a theory at this point, but that's the direction we're looking."

The first bodies were found Nov. 1 at the Petro Stopping Center on Interstate 10 in San Antonio. They were identified as Harry Ackroyd, 35, and Michelle Ackroyd, 32. Police said they did not know whether the two were truckers.

The Bexar County medical examiner's office said the body of a third man, identified as Byron Gonzales, was discovered inside a rig at the truck stop on Thanksgiving Day.

Police reported that a fourth person, Clifton Frank Lee, 62, was found dead in a motel room next to the Petro on Sunday. A police report said Lee was a diabetic who had pneumonia and had left the hospital two days earlier against doctor's orders.

A fifth man, Hubert Hardesty, 53, was discovered dead Monday in a stolen rig at the Flying J stop just east of the Petro.

Jimmy Holguin, chief investigator for the medical examiner's office, said no causes have been determined in any of the deaths.

In Hardesty's case, a trucker reported a foul odor coming from the cab of a parked flatbed truck on Monday, leading authorities to Hardesty's body, which police said was too decomposed to determine a cause of death. The trucker who reported the foul odor told police he saw blood on the gas tank.

"It may be a fluke, but obviously it doesn't look like it," said Ray De La Luz, a manager at the Petro. De La Luz said he and his staff are constantly shooing drifters and others from the parking lot who are not supposed to be there.

39、Man warns woman he was hired to kill her Tue Nov 28, 4:24 PM ET



ALLEN, Texas - A woman found a stranger in her bedroom, but the man said he was there to warn her that he had been hired to kill her, police said.

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"Your husband wants you murdered," the man told Roxane Sterling on Nov. 21, according to police reports.

He told Sterling, who is eight months' pregnant, to call police.

Her husband, Albert Jackson Sterling II, was arrested in Alamogordo, N.M., on two counts of criminal solicitation of murder ― one for his wife and another for their unborn child, authorities said.

Authorities said the man who warned Sterling was not charged with a crime. They did not release his name.

"He did not go there with the intent to murder her," said Capt. Robert Flores. "He went with the intent to warn her."

The man had entered the family's empty house while Sterling was out and her husband and their 3-year-old son were visiting relatives in New Mexico.

Investigators said Albert Sterling, 38, had offered the man a large amount of money to kill his wife and had helped him get into the house in this Dallas suburb.

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Police: Girl lit mom's bed, stole car Tue Nov 28, 4:40 PM ET



PERU, Ind. - A 12-year-old girl sick of doing chores set fire to her sleeping mother's bed and took off in the family car to fake the abduction of herself and her two younger siblings, authorities said Tuesday.

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"Apparently the mom had given her a lot of duties," Miami County Sheriff Ken Roland said. "It was too much for a 12-year-old and she snapped."

Authorities began looking for the girl, her 8-year-old brother and her 6-year-old sister early Monday after their mother called 911. The 29-year-old woman said she had awakened with her bed on fire and discovered her children and car were missing.

Police called the woman's cell phone and spoke to the 12-year-old, sheriff's Sgt. Gary Glassburn said. The girl told officers she and her siblings had been kidnapped and forced to drive south while the abductor followed in another vehicle.

The girl had driven about 15 miles when police talked her into stopping just south of Peru, about 70 miles north of Indianapolis. The children were found unharmed.

Investigators determined that there was no abduction and that the girl had stolen her mother's car.

The 12-year-old was being held in a juvenile detention center on charges of arson and attempted murder, police said. The other two children were released to their mother.

The fire in the bed was not serious, and the mother was not hurt, the sheriff said