Monday, January 9, 2006

Honda’s Civic and Ridgeline truck won the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards at the International Auto Show in Detroit. This is the first time a company has won both awards in the same year. The finalists were the Ridgeline, the Ford Explorer SUV and the Nissan Xterra. The awards are intended to recognize vehicles for their innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, and value.

Honda also unveiled its latest model the Fit, a US version of the Honda Jazz sold in nonUS markets. The Fit comes with a 109 horsepower engine, antilock brakes, six air bags, fold flat seats, full iPod connectivity, 90.1 cubic feet of passenger and cargo space, and 33 mpg for the city 38 mpg for the highway. A sport package will also include Honda’s first steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. The car will go against another two new Japanese subcompacts, the Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa and will have to wrestle away sales from the category’s current top seller Chevrolet’s Aveo.

The car will start selling in April for around $13,000 to $14,000 as a 2007 model. The company plans to sell 33,000 units of the hatchback in 2006.

Many automakers expect industry wide sales in the US to be between 16 and 17 million units. Honda, which is Japan’s third largest automaker, hopes to gain US market share with the redesigned Civic and the Fit. Honda hopes that the company’s auto sales will rise 4% this year. The fuel-efficient Civic helped increase US market share to 8.6 percent last year, some of those sales were taken from Ford as gas prices rocketed to $3 a gallon. The US market is extremely important for Honda as it receives 64% of its operating profit from the US.

• “Honda vehicles win Car, Truck of the Year” — Xinhuanet, January 9, 2006
• Kae Inoue. “Honda Expects to Gain U.S. Market Share in 2006 With Civic, Fit” — Bloomberg, January 8, 2006
• Nick Buntley. “Honda introduces its new small car, the Fit” — The Detriot News, January 8, 2006

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Buffalo, New York — Judge Justice Christopher Burns of the New York State Supreme Court has ordered a halt to an emergency demolition on a 19th century stable and livery on 428-430 Jersey Street in Buffalo, New York that partially collapsed on Wednesday June 11, initially causing at least 15 homes to be evacuated. At least two homes remain evacuated.

Burns orders that both the city and the group Save The Livery (www.savethelivery.com) have to come to an agreement on what to do with the building, and try to work out ways of saving at least some portions if it including the facade, side walls and a lift tower. Save The Livery is comprised of concerned area residents who have grown to love the building’s historic and unique character. On June 14, they won a temporary restraining order to stop demolition. The court ruled that the city was only allowed to remove material in immediate danger to residents and pedestrians, but stated that the demolition could only be performed with “hand tools.” The court also ordered that any rubble which had fallen into neighboring yards when the building collapsed, to be removed.

“It is in the interest of the city to have a safe environment–but also important to maintain a sense of historical preservation,” stated Burns in his ruling. Burns has given the sides until tomorrow (Friday June 20) to come to an agreement and has ordered both parties to return to court at 9:30 a.m. (eastern time) “sharp.” Activists of Save The Livery urge supporters of the stable to “fill the courtroom” to show “continued and ongoing support.” The hearing is scheduled to take place at 25 Delaware Avenue in the Supreme Court building, 3rd Floor, trial part 19.

Currently the building is owned by Bob Freudenheim who has several building violations against him because of the buildings poor condition. He has received at least five violations in three months and residents who live near the building state that Freudenheim should be “100% responsible” for his actions. Many are afraid that if the building is demolished, Freudenheim’s charges of neglect will be abolished.

On June 17, developer and CEO of Savarino Companies, Sam Savarino was at the site of the stable, discussing the building with residents and preservationists. In 2006, Savarino proposed and planned The Elmwood Village Hotel, a ‘botique’ hotel on the Southeast corner of Elmwood and Forest Avenues. The project was later withdrawn after residents filed a lawsuit against Savarino and the city. Wikinews extensively covered the story, and contacted Savarino for his professional opinion on the building.

“[I would] love to see it preserved. I was there to see if there was anything we could do to help, to see if anything can be salvaged. I just want to see the right thing happen, and so does the city,” stated Savarino to Wikinews who added that he was allowed inside the building for a brief period.

“The side walls are beyond repair. The roof has rotted and it could come down at any time,” added Savarino who also said that the building “below the second floor appears to be stable.” He also states that the back wall of the building, which borders several homes, appears to be intact.

“Eliminating the back wall could be a problem for the neighbors. It is not unreasonable to leave at least 12 feet” of the back wall standing, added Savarino.

Savarino did not say if he was interested in buying the property, but did state, “I am sure there are a couple of people interested” in buying the property. On Thursday, Buffalo News reported that a “businessman” might be interested in purchasing the property, though Wikinews is not able to independently confirm the report. Savarino says that with the property still slated for emergency demolition, a potential buyer could face tax fees of nearly US$300,000.

Freudenheim gave the city permission to demolish the building on Thursday June 12 during an emergency Preservation Board meeting, because he would not be “rehabilitating the building anytime soon.” Freudenheim, along with his wife Nina, were part-owners of the Hotel Lenox at 140 North Street in Buffalo and were advocates to stop the Elmwood Village Hotel. They also financially supported a lawsuit in an attempt to stop the hotel from being built. Though it is not known exactly how long Freudenheim has owned the stable, Wikinews has learned that he was the owner while fighting to stop the hotel from being built. Residents say that he has been the owner for at least 22 years.

The building was first owned by a company called White Bros. and was used as a stable for a farm which once covered the land around the building for several blocks. The Buffalo Fire Department believes the building was built around 1814, while the city property database states it was built in 1870. Servants and workers of the farm were housed inside resident quarters situated at the rear of the building on what is now Summer Street, but are now cottages where area residents currently reside. Some date as far back as 1829.

At about 1950, the stable was converted into an automobile body shop and gasoline station.A property record search showed that in 1950 at least four fuel storage tanks were installed on the property. Two are listed as 550 square feet while the other two are 2,000 square feet. All of the tanks are designated as a TK4, which New York State says is used for “below ground horizontal bulk fuel storage.” The cost of installing a tank of that nature according to the state, at that time, included the tank itself, “excavation and backfill,” but did not include “the piping, ballast, or hold-down slab orring.” It is not known if the tanks are still on the property, but residents are concerned the city was not taking the precautions to find out.

[edit]

Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Dr. Stephen Schoenthaler, a Professor of Criminal Justice at the California State University in Stanislaus, has long argued that there is a link between a healthy diet and decreased aggressive behaviour, as well as with increased IQ and school performance.

Dr. Schoenthaler is well-known for a youth detention center study where violations of house rules fell by 37% when vending machines were removed and the cafeteria replaced canned food by fresh alternatives. He summarizes his findings by saying that “Having a bad diet right now is a better predictor of future violence than past violent behaviour.” In a very large test, Schoenthaler directed a study in meals at 803 New York City schools, in low-income neighbourhoods, finding that the number of students passing final exams increased by 16%.

Critics have questioned some of Dr. Schoenthaler findings, due to the lack of placebo control groups. However, more recent work by Dr. Bernard Gesch, a physiologist at the University of Oxford, has placed some of the work on a more scientific footing. Dr. Gesch found that nutrition supplements produced a 26% drop in violations of prison rules over a placebo, and a 37% decrease in violent offences. The Netherlands has embarked on a wider scale dietary research program in 14 prisons.

The short term behaviour consequences of ingesting sugar are well understood: an initial burst on energy, followed a sugar low in which your body produces adrenalin, which makes you irritable and explosive. However, Schoenthaler and Gesch suggest that there are long term impacts over and above the short term consequences of blood sugar variations.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Republican House Majority Leader Rep. Tom DeLay has declared an “ongoing victory” in spending cuts. He stated that the federal government was running at peak efficiency and that there was nothing left to cut from the U.S. federal budget. DeLay supports additional deficit spending for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, on top of the this year’s existing $331 billion federal budget deficit.

DeLay’s position has drawn criticism from some fiscal conservatives, including a few fellow republican representatives. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) commented “I wonder if we’ve been serving in the same Congress.” The majority of congressional republicans still support DeLay’s view, and feel that their fiscal policies have been more sound than the democrats were in the past.

American Conservative Union Chairman David A. Keene claimed that federal spending was “spiraling out of control” before Katrina, and suggested fiscal conservatives were “losing faith” in the Republican congressional leadership. Mr. Keenes stated that “Excluding military and homeland security, American taxpayers have witnessed the largest spending increase under any preceding president and Congress since the Great Depression.” Specifically, aside from military and security spending, federal spending increased by $303 billion per year from 2001 and 2005, and the acknowledged federal debt increased more than $2 trillion since fiscal year 2000. The estimates used by the American Conservative Union predict that the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill will increase the government’s unfunded obligations by $16 trillion.

Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) claimed “there are plenty of places” to make budget cuts, especially an estimated $20 billion to $25 billion in pet projects that make their way into must-pass spending bills each year. His group expects to release a list of $2 trillion in suggested spending cuts over the next five years. In particular, CAGW and the Heritage Foundation believe that some 6,000 projects in the recently passed highway bill are not essential and should be cut. Such projects include the planting of flowers along the Ronald Reagan freeway in California and the controversial $230 million Ketchikan bridge project, which is estimated to cost federal taxpayers at least $28 per vehicle trip, without a toll. Mr. DeLay previously described these projects as “important infrastructure” and stated that eliminating them might harm the economy.

The debate was sparked by controversy over spending on relief and reconstruction in the wake Hurricane Katrina; which some fiscal conservatives have humorously labeled “Bush’s New Orleans Deal.” Liberal criticism of the reconstruction effort has focused on the awarding of reconstruction contracts to perceived Washington insiders.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

While testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, General David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, passed out briefly while answering a question from Senator John McCain from Arizona.

While answering the question, Petraeus slumped over in mid-sentence and the hearing was immediately suspended while several people rushed over from the table to help him. Shortly after, Gen. Petraeus regained consciousness and walked from the hearing room under his own power.

The chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Michigan Senator Carl Levin said the general “appears to be doing very much better.” The senator also said that Petraeus was eating and may have been dehydrated, and that the hearing might resume. Petraeus was testifying on the Afghanistan War.

After a short time, Petraeus returned from the room he was in, smiling and sipping from a cup. Though the hearing was resumed briefly, given the circumstances, Levin postponed the hearing until Wednesday. As the hearing closed, McCain called the general one of the “nation’s heroes” and also said “we’re glad you have recovered and look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.” As Levin sounded the gavel that closed the hearing for the day, applause broke out.

Some people have speculated that Petraeus passed out because of McCain’s questions, as the General slumped over while answering McCain. However, later General Petraeus said “It wasn’t Sen. McCain’s questions. I just got dehydrated.”

Sunday, September 10, 2006

New research findings from South Africa on an extremely drug-resistant (XDR) strain of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB) alarm experts. XDR-TB is defined as resistance to three or more second line antibiotics for TB. The condition remains treatable with other types of medications, but those are less effective, costlier and toxic. If the afflicted persons can’t be diagnosed timely and given proper treatment, they can die within a month. Of 53 patients who had this form of the lung infection in the study, 52 died, reports ABC News.

Dr. Tony Moll discovered the Extremely Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) in the South African region KwaZulu-Natal. In an interview, he said the new variant was “very highly troubling and alarming because of the very high fatality rate.” Some patients might have contracted the bug in the hospital, Dr. Moll thinks, and at least two were hospital health workers. In one year’s time, an infected person may infect 10 to 15 close contacts. However, the percentage of XDR-TB in the entire group of people with tuberculosis still seems to be low; 6,000 of the total 330,000 people infected at any particular moment in South Africa.

The typical symptoms of TB (like prolonged coughing, fever, night sweats, weight loss and chest pain), and signs on X-ray are identical for XDR-TB. To ascertain the presence of this resistant form, a laboratory test on the patient’s sputum is necessary, but these tests are often too expensive in the poor countries where TB is present. Also, these countries frequently have high HIV-rates too; 44 patient’s in the study by Dr. Moll were seropositive. These patients are particularly vulnerable. Dr. Karin Weyer, director of the South African Medical Research Council’s Unit for TB Research, cautioned that “In a country with such high prevalence of HIV, the emergence of XDR-TB is a nightmare.” Because TB is often a hallmark of AIDS, many people afraid of the social stigma don’t seek medical attention.

These distressing findings urged a two-day meeting in Johannesburg to discuss the situation. Experts like Dr. Moll believe the new strain is also present in other provinces than Kwazulu-Natal. Conference organizers report cases in Mozambique and Botswana too. The World Health Organization has called for renewed efforts to combat the disease. Meanwhile, officials of the Health Ministry are suspected to be enforcing a media ban on the topics of AIDS and possibly TB.

During the 1990s, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), defined as resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampin, emerged as a threat to TB control, both in the United States and worldwide.

Saturday, January 14, 2006

A United States military air strike on a Pakistani village on Friday killed at least 18 people, including women and children. U.S. media reports claim that leading al-Qaeda member Ayman al-Zawahiri was a target, and that the strike took place in the village of Damadola in the Bajaur tribal area of northwestern Pakistan.

The Pentagon has denied any involvement, leading to speculations that the CIA was responsible for the strike. Such speculations have been confirmed by an unnamed American intelligence official; although no official statement has been issued.

Pakistani intelligence officials have contradicted U.S. claims that Ayman al-Zawahiri was in the area at the time of the strike and suggested that the U.S. intelligence information placing him there was incorrect. A Pakistani intelligence officer claimed that Zawahiri was invited to a dinner in the village where the strike took place, but he “did not show up.” According to Pakistani army representatives, Ayman al-Zawahiri was not among the dead. Al Arabiya satellite television network has reported that “a source with contacts with al Qaeda reiterated to Arabiya that Zawahiri is alive.”

Egypt, who has Zawahiri’s brother in prison, has provided the United States with a DNA sample, which would allow officials to positively identify the fugitive al-Qaeda leader. It is also reported that the DNA has already been used to run tests at the FBI in Washington DC.

Pakistan condemned the U.S. air strike, summoned the United States ambassador, and said that the country “does not allow U.S. forces to cross the border in pursuit of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters.” Pakistan’s information minister Sheik Rashid Ahmed said that Pakistan wants “to assure the people we will not allow such incidents to reoccur.”

However, Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said that “according to preliminary investigations there was foreign presence in the area and that in all probability was targeted from across the border in Afghanistan.”

The Foreign Office issued a statement Saturday saying it lodged a formal complaint with the United States embassy in Islamabad, where it will be hand delivered by Foreign Secretary Riaz Khan.

Pakistani Intelligence officials are looking into reports that suggest at least seven foreign militants had been killed and their bodies removed by local supporters.

This complaint is the second lodged by Pakistan against the U.S. in less than a week. The earlier protest was prompted by U.S. missile attack that killed eight people from a village in the North Waziristan tribal region. According to local officials, none of the victims were terrorist suspects. As a result of the strikes, protests broke out in different parts of the country.