Views & Opinions at Phila. Front Page News; Judge Pagano Media Delco. Courthouse by Paula Lombardi

Views & Opinions at Phila. Front Page News; Judge Pagano Media Delco. Courthouse by Paula Lombardi

Summary

Just two months before meeting Fred Snyder in June 1995, I closed my business because I was suffering from autoimmune disorder. In August, Fred asked me to marry him and we jointly bought a home in Springfield Delaware County, PA.

On October 3, Fred’s former attorney drew up the anti-nuptial and supplemental agreements and I put up all the cash. Fred signed a mortgage note on a property he owns in NJ for $20,000.00, which was to be half of the down payment for the Springfield home. Within a few months, Fred no longer looked me in the eye and started disappearing for the weekends. Around August '06, he completely abandoned me. Shortly thereafter, I learned he had been married several times before, has four children from three different women, gains financially from these women and then takes off. Soon after he left the Springfield home, I also learned he was involved with a woman I introduced to him at her and her husband’s nearby deli business. She and Fred were married.

Fred has NEVER paid any expenses including taxes, mortgage payments, insurances, repairs or upkeep of the Springfield home. From Aug 1996 through Jan 1999 I had contact with Fred giving him a quitclaim deed to sign off my deed. I had applied and was approved 6 times for the assumption of the mortgage but Fred would never sign the quitclaim deed. When all attempts failed begging him to sign a quitclaim deed taking his name off my property, I planned to use the courts as a means to have a judge force him to respond. While in the process of retaining an attorney, Feb 1999 I was served by a sheriff with a complaint demanding over $44,000.

Due to circumstances that are completely unexplainable, I have both won and lost over the past 10 years in the courts. Judge Pagano changed the language on the deed to benefit my opponent. In spite of the fact that I am on disability and have little income, the trial judge (George Pagano) forced ME to escrow nearly $23,000.00 with the OJS Department in the Delaware County Courthouse in 2001 in an interest bearing account, versus forcing my opponent to pay me or to sign off my deed. Judge Pagano documented at trial that my opponent had already repaid me.

Finally, the Superior Court ruled in my favor July 2004 and vacated Pagano’s amended order. When I asked Judge Pagano for a Show Cause Hearing to enforce his first order of May 2001, and force Snyder to sign off my deed, he denied me. I filed a Motion for Sanctions for the Interference of the Due Administration of Justice. Denied. No matter what I file, I am denied or ignored.
I followed Judge Pagano’s May 2001 Order as best I can but my opponent refuses to sign a quitclaim deed blocking the lawful process to remove his name from the mortgage in order to comply with the order.

My opponent seems to have unlimited funding for his legal actions. I have spent a fortune on attorneys who seem to be called into this judge’s chambers and return shaking, telling me to "forget this case… do not appeal, you'll lose"! All the attorneys in Delaware County from which I have tried to get some help, say, “I have cases to be heard in Pagano’s court” and then tell me that they can’t help me.
I have sent all of my paperwork concerning the unfairness of this particular Delaware County judge to the Judicial Review Board with no help or results. The same is true of the state Attorney General's office. Their response always going back to, "get a lawyer".

I filed a Civil Rights Case in Federal Court which has been rejected stating it was frivolous and responding by saying to go to the Bar Association so they could refer me to yet another lawyer.
I do not have the income for a lawyer, or to pay any extra filing charges over and over again as each court or jurisdiction virtually ignores my case, and throws it right back at Judge Pagano, who I am trying to have investigated for ignoring me and delaying my case all of these years. I need someone to step in and find out why Pagano refuses to admit his error, end this case and why he documented the record at the trial that my opponent repaid me while Superior Court found the truth that he did not.

On September 11, 2008, I filed a Breach of Contract (case #08-054031) on my opponent Fred Snyder, his attorney James A Kelly and Judge George A Pagano. It was assigned to Judge Keith Quigley from Perry County.

On May 30, I was told to disregard the Breach Arbitration date of June 16.
On June 24, 2009, there is a trial which has been triggered by my opponent’s attorney, James A Kelly. (case #04-10092) This is same issue that was in Superior Court in 2004.
The original case (case #99-02621) and the May 2001 Order has never been revisited or addressed nor has it been resolved.

Although I have homeowners insurance, if something should happen to my home, I cannot have an insurance claim paid because the policy has to be written in my opponent’s name as well as mine because he is still on my deed.

This is a summary of my nightmare and there is a lot more in between. This has been 10 years of sham proceedings in the Delaware County Courthouse.
If you think you can help, it will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Paula Lombardi

John H. Coleman, Jr., Philadelphia Minister, Songwriter, Soloist, Phila. Front Page News, Special Investigator, Makes YouTube Video by Van Stone

John H. Coleman, Jr., Philadelphia Minister, Songwriter, Soloist, Phila. Front Page News, Special Investigator, Makes YouTube Video by Van Stone



From left to right: Randy, Floyd Coleman,
Darryl Nutter, Phila. Front Page News Board Member,
Hassana Holloway (daughter of John H. Coleman),
Adriene, Phila. Police/Black Clergy, and
John H. Coleman, songwriter, soloist, Phila. Front Page
News, Special Investigator.

John H. Coleman, Jr., Minister.

John H. Coleman, Jr. (born September 7, 1964) is an American Vocalist/Lyricist.
He is one of the most successful solo artists involved in Christian pop in Philadelphia, PA.
Known for his enlightened mix of gospel and popular smooth R&B style of sound, Minister John Coleman composes lyrics with a positive message. In late 2007 with the his first single “Who Do You Serve”, John Coleman emerged and began filling his music with rhythms, hip, and urban pop.

Originally from the MillCreek neighborhood of West Philadelphia
His father taught John Coleman music. He attended University City High School.
A young John Coleman used to play baseball and seriously participated in boxing. He joined a well-known Philadelphia boxing unit called the Executioners. Eventually, he had a lot of interest in music. He began freestyling, writing lyrics, and followed the music of the artist Sam Cook who was a favorite at the time.

Minister John H. Coleman, Jr. personally felt that he was called on by the Lord to win souls for his Savior, Jesus Christ. His dedication to Christianity enabled him to gain the prestigious honor of being a part of the Police Clergy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Athletics and academic education, health and safety education, family services, communications and youth works are a big part of his voluntary work in the Philadelphia community.

John Coleman, Jr’s strong faith in the Lord allowed him to start his volunteer ministry at Centennial Village, a nursing home center, located in West Philadelphia. According to Coleman, his passion for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ allows him to pack Heaven all the day long for God, no matter who it is seeking God. Minister Coleman is blessed to preach God's word as a singer and preacher.

John Coleman, Jr. enjoys spending time with serving children in the community. He creates music dealing with events plus the latest social-welfare issues affecting the United States and the world. Most recently, Coleman Jr. wrote and sang his own songs for a Youtube video. He is dedicating his videos and songs to his father who is ill dealing with advancing cancer.

School days are approaching summer break. Thousands of music students in the Philadelphia area listen to internet radio. So John H. Coleman, Radio Personality at WVSR-AM is branching out to help kids. He recently finished two new singles called "Who Do You Serve", "Baby Just You," and most recently "Treasures In Heaven." Currently he is working on the video of Treasures In Heaven with his brother Floyd Coleman who is also a well known music artist.

John H. Coleman, Jr. tries to affect the quality of life for youth and adults in a positive way. Coleman, Jr.'s ballads will actually enlighten listeners as a soloist from a wide range of eastern gospel songs mixed with the R&B groove. John, a teacher of public safety and professional boxing, and investigator, has taken a leap of faith using music to charm listeners with a positive message. Plus Coleman, who is also a Philadelphia Police Clergyman, mixes in Christian pop favorite sounds from the past with "Jesus Music" for modern times. Coleman, using his music, wants kids to report to school daily and work hard to make sure that they become achievers.

"Overcrowded and split classrooms, where one teacher is responsible for a class made up of pupils in two grades, has been a challenge to both experienced and inexperienced teachers. But most of these situations have been successful when teachers use music during their class time," Coleman says. The hot story about John H. Coleman Jr. as an artist is that his voice appears to be very similar to the great late Sam Cooke. Coleman Jr.'s music can be found online but is not yet made available in stores. He is also dedicating his music to the fight to prevent hand gun violence and city violence in general. Recently, Darryl Nutter, a community activist against violence too, supported Coleman Jr. by participating in the video. Both Darryl Nutter and John H. Coleman Jr. are active Board Members of the Philadelphia Front Page News which can be found at www.frontpagenews.us.

HoopGurlz at Phila. Front Page News

HoopGurlz at Phila. Front Page News

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- In four days of action at the United States Olympic Training Center, 34 players competed for the USA basketball U16 national team's 12 roster spots. Making this team meant playing with the best young talent in the country in preparation for the FIBA Americas Championships in August. In our two-part tip sheet we look at what each player brought to the court, whether they made the team or not.

Jacksonville's Kayla Brewer is listed at 6 feet 2, but she was not one of the taller interior players in the bunch. She, like many others, had a slow start while adjusting to the setting, but turned it up late. She has a great frame for the forward position, but with all the length on the floor it forced her to show off her mid-range game, which was pretty nice. She hit some jumpers from the trail and had a few face-up moves from the high post that were impressive, while bringing energy to the paint throughout.
• Brewer did not make the team.

Loliya Briggs' touch around the hoop was off during the trials.

Another Floridian making a late push for a roster spot was Gainesville-native Loliya Briggs. She was a victim of a slow start, but when she found the confidence to do what she does well it was obvious why she was invited. She has tremendous speed and is one of the best in her class at creating shots. When you talk about creating space this is a kid you should refer to. She is very shifty and has ankle-breaking potential, but didn't show touch on her pull-up shots. Making shots in a chaotic setting is important in making the team.
• Briggs did not make the team.

Megan Buckland of High Point, N.C., was one of the bigger shooting guards invited to the trials. She is nearing 6-0 and has a strong frame as well. She doesn't jump out as super quick or fast, but in stretches she showed an explosive first step and got by some of the better on-ball defenders. She is a strong defender, both on the ball and off, while rebounding her position very well. The biggest question mark to her game is her 3-point shooting consistency. She had a couple of hot streaks, but will probably have to prove that the 3 is a shot she can hit with ease in the future.
• Buckland did not make the team.

If you're looking for fire and personality on the floor you can look to Cierra Burdick from the Tar Heel state. Her physical gifts are as impressive as anyone in her class. She is 6-2 with guard skills. She has an awkward, but effective floater that she uses in traffic because she's not quite there with her jumper. She hit some open shots -- some from 3-point range -- but perimeter shooting is her main area for improvement. She's a crafty passer who isn't afraid to thread the needle to make a play, which only complements her break-down skills with the ball. With her length, she can make passing lanes disappear.
• Burdick made the team.

There are few players in the country that can match the speed of Jasmine Camp. The 5-7 point guard is a blur with the ball or filling a lane on the break. She is one of the quicker guards with and without the ball in her hands, which made for effective on-ball defensive harassment. The limiting factor in this setting was physical strength because the international-style officiating allowed a lot of hand checks, which led to a more physical game overall. As a result, Camp was pushed off her line to the basket at times.
• Camp did not make the team.

Ariya Crook-Williams (left) does her best to guard Briyona Canty's jumper.

Physically, Trenton Catholic Academy (N.J.) guard Briyona Canty is one of the most impressive players you will find in the 2011 class. She has a pro-ready body and plays a physical brand of basketball. When she's on the court, you notice. If she gets even a half-step on her defender, she can get all the way to the basket. She is a truly explosive player that plays much bigger than 5-9. If she can cut down on the turnovers and hit the long-range jumper consistently, she could catapult to the top of the class in terms of guards and make a serious case for future USA teams.
• Canty did not make the team.

Long Beach Poly guard Ariya Crook-Williams has the body to take the punishment of the more physical international and college games. She is one of the best at getting into the defender's hips and opening them up. She had a really nice run on Saturday when paired up with Ariel Massengale. The point-guard duo led to a lot of open shots for everyone on the floor. Crook-Williams didn't shoot the ball as consistently as she has in the past. She could be factor in future national teams.
• Crook-Williams did not make the team.

Justine Hartman of Brea, Calif., joins the trio from Mater Dei to give the national team four players from Orange County. She was one of the strongest, physically, of the post crop at the trials. She could actually play stronger, if she posted with her hips lower forming a more solid base. What is great about her game offensively is she takes her time, reads the floor after she catches the ball on the block and makes the right play for the situation more often then not. She finished better than any of the posts here and mixed in some mid-range scoring as well. Defensively, she's going to have to push herself against more athletic players with better footwork fundamentals in the international game.
• Hartman made the team.

Iowa-native Taylor Greenfield stands 6-2 and has a lot of potential on the wing. She has the speed to fill the lane, quickness to penetrate off the dribble and the length to extend to the rim. However, in this setting the physical nature didn't allow her to show quite as well as she normally would. That's no knock on her ability because she did some nice things throughout the four-day trials. She hit more jumpers than expected and by the later sessions she adjusted to the style of play.
• Greenfield did not make the team.

Andraya Carter is already a leader. The rest will come with time.

Part of being a point guard is being a leader and a big part of leadership is having a positive attitude. Andraya Carter of Buford, Ga., has the mental part down. She gets on the floor for any and all loose balls. She gets knocked around a bit, which leads to her being on the deck more than she'd probably like, but she hops up with a smile each and every time. She is a fluid athlete and changes directions well, but against aggressive defenders she gets in trouble going east-to-west. As she gets older and stronger this will probably change. She shot the ball well in spots and this kid is one to watch over the next three years.
• Carter did not make the team.

One of three Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.) players selected to the national team, Jordan Adams, played at a high level in each and every session. While usually at the point, she showed the versatility to be an impact player anywhere on the perimeter. She shot the ball as well from the perimeter, but what makes her so valuable is her ability to create a good shot off the dribble when the 24-second shot clock is running down. She was easily one of the most consistent players at the trials.
• Adams made the team.

Bashaara Graves of Clarksville, Tenn., is much stronger than most other high school freshmen. The physical 6-2 forward isn't afraid to mix it up in the paint. She has all the athleticism to be a top player in the class. She has good timing coupled with very good leaping ability, which makes for a solid shot blocker. She caught some of the taller posts off guard quite a few times in that regard. She could improve her footwork on the interior and finish in traffic more consistently, both of which should occur over the next three years. Her performance was impressive enough that USA basketball asked her to stay and practice with the team in place of injured forward Morgan Tuck.
• Graves did not make the team.

The sole representative from the state of Mississippi was Rachel Hollivay of Columbus. The upside, potential and future of this kid is so promising that it's hard to sit back and wait for her to develop with her three remaining high school seasons. She's 6-4, long and can run the floor with the wings. She is in her element in transition where she can beat her defender to the other end and find easy buckets. Defensively, she is a big-time shot blocker. She struggled in the half court with her back to the basket, but look out when that part of her game evolves.
• Hollivay did not make the team.

Malina Howard struggled to dominate in the paint, thanks to some athletic defenders.

At 6-4 and with a solid frame, Malina Howard already has a college-ready body. She uses that size well in spots, but hasn't really embraced the advantages she has and the mismatches she poses. Simply playing lower before the catch would take her game to the next level because nobody at this level will be able to push her out of position. She showed the ability to hit the trail jumper but with the tall, quick, high-risers in the paint she wasn't as dominant as we've come to expect in the paint.
• Howard did not make the team.

In the running for quickest and fastest in the trials was Moriah Jefferson. That alone is impressive, but the fact she was playing on, basically, one leg was even more so. She played through a soft tissue injury in her left calf, which caused her pain when she put her weight on her toes. She still was able to muster the quickness and burst to beat some of the nation's best on-ball defenders off the dribble and got to the rim as well as anyone with two legs vying for time at the point. Where the injury really limited her was on defense as her lateral quickness was severely reduced and having a slight build she couldn't overcome the injury on the defensive side of the court.
• Jefferson did not make the team.

Jefferson's DFW Elite 2012 teammate Alexis Jones was all over the court throughout the trials. The Texan is a 5-9 combo guard and was as close to a lock-down defender as you will find at this age. She had some fantastic battles playing the hyper-quick Jewell Loyd in a couple of scrimmages. The Irving MacArthur High School star creates a lot of offense with her dominant play on the defensive end. She can rip the ball away from the ballhandler and is great in jumping passing lanes as well. She hit some shots late in the trials, but her inconsistent ability to finish early on kept her from getting over the hump for a guard spot on the roster.
• Jones did not make the team.

Law firm Drinker Biddle slashes starting salaries, sets new training regimen

Law firm Drinker Biddle & Reath said Monday it will slash entry-level lawyer salaries while the newcomers are put through a new, intensive training regimen.

The Philadelphia-based firm will welcome its 37 first-year associates on time this September — unlike at some other firms, where start dates have been delayed in cost-cutting moves — but starting lawyers will not handle client matters for the most part. Instead they will be assigned to a training program “far more rigorous and focused than any we have previously provided,” Drinker Biddle management said in an internal memo obtained by The Philadelphia Business Journal.

During the initial period, Drinker Biddle will pay an annual salary of $105,000 — down from the $145,000 paid previously. Any client work first years perform will be billed at a significant rate reduction.

The training will be focused on traditional legal skills relevant to particular areas of practice and education about client businesses. The new lawyers will shadow partners, spend time in a classroom setting and be freed from billable hour requirements.

“We will also be looking to all of our lawyers to make special efforts to find opportunities for our new lawyers to gain the kind of real-world experience our clients expect — even if we cannot bill for the time,” the memo said.

Drinker Biddle said it expects to adjust pay to the market rate for first-year lawyers in spring 2010.

“In this way, we intend to address the often-repeated criticism that we are training our lawyers at our clients’ expense while at the same time ensuring that our overall compensation system for associates is logical, consistent and fair,” the memo said.

Most large Philadelphia firms have deferred the start dates of their first-year associates for 2009. Drinker Biddle had been quiet about its plans until Monday.

Drinker said it wanted to make sure the firm’s economic perspective was aligned with clients, who have made their viewpoints clear both in individual meetings and through initiatives from the Association of Corporate Counsel.

In addition, Drinker Biddle said it has begun a review of its associate compensation program to ensure that it is “aligned with the needs of our clients and the professional development of our lawyers.” It expects the results to be implemented in 2010. The firm will also evaluate its summer intern program structure and will announce a new strategy to handle flex-time work arrangements.

Drinker Biddle added that instead of awarding bonuses solely based on hours billed, it will include other unnamed factors. Associate evaluations will be moved from early in the year to fall.

Meghan McCain Unhappy With Being Deemed Less Influential Than Dick Cheney

Meghan McCain Unhappy With Being Deemed Less Influential Than Dick Cheney

Buzz

It seems that Meghan McCain is beefing with Washington Monthly's Steve Benen over this post, which -- in discussing former Vice President Dick Cheney's support for gay marriage -- begins thusly:

It was pretty meaningless to hear Meghan McCain urge her Republican Party to come around on gay marriage. It seemed a bit more important when Steve Schmidt, John McCain's campaign manager, gave the GOP the same advice.

But in terms of influence in Republican politics, Dick Cheney is on another level.

To which McCain responded, via Twitter:

Hey Washington Monthly, so it's only important to speak out for marriage equality if your [sic] an old man?

Now, look. I can understand someone reading that first sentence as a dig. And speaking only for myself, I think that Meghan McCain stands very forthrightly and admirably on the right side of the gay marriage issue. In fact I'm willing to bet that if she could, she'd likely take one look at the tangles of politics and expedience and compromise and chronic half-stepping that have always seemed to prevent people from doing the right thing and just slice that Gordian knot in half without pausing for thought. And that's something that Dick Cheney, despite his beliefs on this subject -- which he's expressed since at least the 2000 Vice-Presidential debate -- has been unwilling or unable to do, beyond voicing his support everytime a reporter asks him about the subject.

That said, her response seems to be the sort of weird petulance that could undermine her strong advocacy. I mean, surely Meghan McCain understands that when Steve Benen says that Dick Cheney's "influence...is on another level," it's because Dick Cheney's influence is -- objectively speaking -- on another level. Furthermore, I hardly think it's accurate to call Steve Schmidt an "old man," and, in terms of influence, I have to believe that Meghan McCain is aware that "Head of day to day operations, McCain/Palin 2008" was higher up the campaign org-chart than "author of McCainBlogette."

Phila. Police Get a Fleet of Segway Mini-Vehicles

Phila. Police Get a Fleet of Segway Mini-Vehicles

by KYW's Tony Hanson

The Philadelphia Police Department has introduced its newest crime fighting tool.

A donation of more than $60,000 from the Philadelphia Police Foundation is covering the cost of ten Segways, a two-wheel, motorized, standup vehicle.

Police commissioner Charles Ramsey (trying one out at right) says the ten Segways, the first of what he hopes will be a growing fleet, are an extension of foot patrol -- with some unique benefits:

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Fight to Preserve Historic Main Line Mansion Reaches Critical Crossroad

Fight to Preserve Historic Main Line Mansion Reaches Critical Crossroad

by KYW's Brad Segall

The Lower Merion commissioners are expected to decide on Wednesday whether to allow the new owner of a Main Line mansion to raze the building or to delay demolition as preservationists try to save the property.

In March, a mystery owner paid $6 million for the estate called "La Ronda" in Bryn Mawr, but the purchase was made through a front company so local officials don't really know who owns the 80-year-old mansion.

The mansion was the last commission of architect Addison Mizner, best known for his work in Palm Beach and Boca Raton, Fla.

For full storyhttp://www.kyw1060.com/ go to:

Among NJ Primary Races, GOP Governor Battle is Most Closely Watched

Among NJ Primary Races, GOP Governor Battle is Most Closely Watched


(Poll workers wait with empty voting booths at a
Collingswood polling place that saw extremely light turnout
on Tuesday morning.)

KYW Newsradio Team Coverage

Tuesday is Primary Day in New Jersey, with the governor's race topping the ballot.

KYW's David Madden reports that turnout will be pivotal in Tuesday’s New Jersey Republican gubernatorial primary, topping the ballot which includes local battles on both sides of the aisle.

There’s only one statewide race. Governor Jon Corzine is expected to easily win renomination against three Democrats with virtually no name recognition.

The real showdown is on the GOP side, with former federal prosecutor Chris Christie enjoying a healthy 20-point lead in most polls:

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Man Nabbed in Connection with Rape of 11-Year-Old Girl in West Kensington

Man Nabbed in Connection with Rape of 11-Year-Old Girl in West Kensington

KYW Newsradio Team Coverage
by Michelle Durham, John McDevitt, Kim Glovas, and Ed Fischer

The same day that Philadelphia police released a photo of a "person of interest" in connection with the rape of an 11-year-old girl in West Kensington, police took into custody a man who strongly resembles that photo.

Officials said the man was taken into custody at Front and Clearfield, near the scene of Monday's crime, and was being given a DNA screening late Tuesday afternoon to positively establish his identity and determine whether he is linked to the case.

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Sports At Phila. Front Page News; Sharapova loses to Cibulkova 6-0, 6-2 at French

Sports At Phila. Front Page News; Sharapova loses to Cibulkova 6-0, 6-2 at French

Russia's Maria Sharapova returns the ball to Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova during their quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Tuesday June 2, 2009.

PARIS (AP) -- Facing match point in the quarterfinals, Maria Sharapova was no longer focused on winning her first French Open title. She merely wanted to win a game.

That she did. A weary, rusty Sharapova averted a shutout Tuesday but lost to Dominika Cibulkova 6-0, 6-2 in the worst Grand Slam defeat of her career.

"I don't really care about numbers," she said. "It's either a W or an L, and I prefer W. You know, if it's 7-6 in the third and you come out with a loss, I mean, what's the difference?"

Cibulkova was one point from victory at 5-love in the second set before Sharapova finally found her form. She won that game and then another, hitting a flurry of winners and saving four match points before Cibulkova closed out the win.

Sharapova was playing in just her second tournament after a layoff of nearly 10 months because of a right shoulder injury. She won three-setters in all four previous rounds at Paris, and the long matches took a toll.

"I guess you could only ask your body to do so much," she said. "Everything fell a little short today. The pace wasn't there on my strokes, and I was five steps slower."

The three-time Grand Slam champion had 27 unforced errors to nine for the No. 20-seeded Cibulkova, a Slovak who advanced to her first major semifinal.

Cibulkova's opponent Thursday will be top-ranked Dinara Safina, who rallied to beat Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

In men's play, Robin Soderling came up with an impressive encore to his upset of top-ranked Rafael Nadal by beating Nikolay Davydenko. The No. 23-seeded Soderling swept the first five games and won 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 to advance beyond the third round at a major event for the first time.

"I always knew that I could play really, really good tennis," the 24-year-old said.

After ending Nadal's four-year reign as French Open champion, Soderling received a congratulatory text message from fellow Swede Bjorn Borg. His opponent Friday will be No. 12-seeded Fernando Gonzalez, who became the first Chilean to reach the French Open semifinals when he beat No. 3 Andy Murray 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4.

Gonzalez finished with 24 forehand winners to three for Murray.

Sharapova-Cibulkova was an even bigger mismatch. Sharapova's legs looked wobbly, and she repeatedly hit the ball late, while the 20-year-old Cibulkova relied on steady strokes from the baseline.

The margin in unforced errors in the opening set was 13-1.

"It was, I think, more surprising for the people who don't know me, maybe for the crowd," Cibulkova said. "But today I was playing really solid."

Games were closer early in the second set, but Sharapova looked increasingly desperate. Caught out of position in one rally, she even tried a left-handed forehand.

It went wide too, putting her behind 5-love.

When Sharapova finally won a game by smacking a return winner, she reacted with only a subdued fist pump. She then clubbed three winners to hold at love for 5-2, but although she erased three match points in the next game, there would be no comeback.

When Sharapova pushed a forehand into the net on the final point, Cibulkova collapsed to the clay in glee and relief. Sharapova took consolation in reaching the quarterfinals.

"Reflecting back on everything that I've been through in the last year, I think I can sit here and say I'm pretty proud of what I've achieved," she said. "I've just got to keep working and keep my head up, just go on a practice court and hits millions of balls."

Safina, seeking her first Grand Slam title, lost only five games in the first four rounds. Against Azarenka, Safina was repeatedly lunging for shots early but regained her dominating form at 4-all in the second set.

Safina was the runner-up at the 2008 French Open and this year's Australian Open. She became No. 1 for the first time on April 20 and is 19-1 this year on clay.

On a cloudless, mild afternoon, the No. 9-seeded Azarenka played nearly flawless tennis at the outset. She hit 10 winners with one unforced error in the opening set, which took only 23 minutes.

"She was playing well, and basically I was not doing anything to complicate it," Safina said. "I started to fight point by point just trying to change a little bit."

After Safina fell behind 1-love in the second set she dug in, running off four consecutive games. Her groundstrokes became steadier, while mistakes crept into Azarenka's play.

"She was missing way too much," Safina said.

By the final changeover, a frustrated Azarenka sat with a towel draped over her face. Safina swept the last three games and the final five points.

"I just missed a lot of my chances," said the 19-year-old Azarenka, who was playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. "It's all experience, which I have to learn from."

Obama picks NY Republican for Army secretary

Obama picks NY Republican for Army secretary

Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y., and President Barack Obama arrives in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, June 2, 2009, where the president announced that McHugh is his choice to become Army Secretary.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama picked a Republican congressmen to be the next secretary of the Army Tuesday, bringing another member of the opposition into his administration's fold.

Obama said New York Rep. John McHugh is "committed to keeping America's Army the best trained the best equipped, the best land force the world has ever seen."

McHugh will make sure the country's troops can handle the new kinds of combat in the 21st century, including nonconventional warfare, the president said.

McHugh has represented upstate New York in Congress since 1993, and is the top Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee.

"The Army's always had a special place in my heart," said McHugh, who has also served as co-chair of the House of Representatives Army Caucus and member of the Board of Visitors of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

In Congress, McHugh has devoted himself to protecting and expanding Fort Drum in northern New York, home of the Army's 10th Mountain Division.

In recent years, Fort Drum has grown as its soldiers face long deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, but McHugh and other New York politicians have fought to keep Washington from shutting it down as a cost-saving measure.

McHugh and then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton even went so far as to write a letter of protest to a fictional character on the television show "The West Wing" after an episode suggested closing the base.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said he would "work to ensure a swift and smooth confirmation for my good friend."

"Two words that characterize John McHugh are class and service, and in this new job he will once again be able to use both," Schumer said in a statement.

Since taking office, Obama has said he wanted to include Republicans in his administration.

If confirmed, McHugh will join Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a holdover from George W. Bush's Republican administration, at the Pentagon. Obama also selected former Republican Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois as transportation secretary.

Obama tried to get another Republican into the administration, New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg. Obama nominated Gregg for commerce secretary after his first choice, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, withdrew amid a grand jury investigation.

But a week after his nomination, Gregg withdrew, citing "irresolvable conflicts" with the Democratic president.

If confirmed, McHugh's appointment would set off a special election for the House seat he's held for nine terms. Democrats held on to a conservative district in the state earlier this year after Kristen Gillibrand was appointed to the Senate to fill Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's vacant seat.

The current Army secretary, Pete Geren, was appointed to the post in 2007 after his predecessor was forced to resign in the wake of the revelations about poor outpatient treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Report: Dear Leader will give way to Commander Kim

Report: Dear Leader will give way to Commander Kim

FILE-In this file photo taken on Monday, March 9, 2009, South Korean protesters with portraits of North Korean Kim Jong Il, right, and his alleged third son Kim Jong Un, shout a slogan during a rally against North Korea's recent military policy in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea told its diplomatic missions that Kim Jong Il's youngest son _ who reportedly enjoys skiing and studied English, German and French at a Swiss school _ will be the nation's next leader, a South Korean lawmaker and newspapers said Tuesday, June 2, 2009. The secretive communist state sent the message about the 26-year-old son, Jong Un, after the nation's May 25 nuclear test, which along with a series of missile tests has greatly raised tensions in the region, the Hankook Ilbo reported.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- One photo shows a chubby-cheeked boy with an impish grin. Former classmates at a Swiss boarding school describe a shy student who loved basketball and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Recent reports describe him as overweight and a heavy drinker.

Now 26, Kim Jong Un has reportedly been tapped to become the next leader of nuclear-armed North Korea.

The youngest son of authoritarian leader Kim Jong Il, he appears to have led a cloistered life, pulled back home after his Swiss schooldays and kept out of the limelight.

But he's already being hailed as "our Commander Kim," and North Koreans are busy learning the lyrics to a new song praising him as the next leader of the world's first communist dynasty, South Korea's Dong-a Ilbo newspaper said Tuesday.

South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers the Pyongyang regime has begun "pledging its allegiance to Kim Jong Un," legislator Park Jie-won said Tuesday. The Hankook Ilbo newspaper said the announcement was made after North Korea's provocative underground nuclear test last week.

The National Intelligence Service refused to confirm the reports.

The apparent anointment comes at a time of mounting tensions over the May 25 nuclear test and North Korea's April 5 rocket launch. The North also appears to be preparing to test-fire an array of medium- and long-range missiles, reports said. Global powers are discussing how to rein in Pyongyang for its nuclear defiance.

Analysts say the saber-rattling is part of a campaign to build unity and support for a successor to the 67-year-old Kim Jong Il, who reportedly suffered a stroke last August and looked gaunt and markedly grayer in an April appearance at parliament.

Kim is believed to want to name a successor by 2012 - the centenary of the birth of his father, North Korea's founder, Kim Il Sung - and the regime undertook a massive campaign last year to gear up for the celebrations.

The regime stepped up the pace last month, launching a "150-day battle" urging North Koreans to work harder to build the country's economy.

"Before 2012, North Korea must convince the army and the public that Jong Un is the best successor," said Atsuhito Isozaki, assistant professor of North Korean politics at Tokyo's private Keio University. "To pave the way for Jong Un's leadership, it is highly likely that North Korea will turn recent nuclear and missile tests into his achievements."

Analyst Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute think tank outside Seoul noted the "politically driven" 150-day campaign is set to culminate in early October. He said North Korea could hold a national convention then - its first in nearly 30 years - to formally announce Kim's successor.

In the 1970s, Kim Il Sung, known as the "Great Leader," arranged for his son to take credit for a "70-day battle" before he was tapped as his father's successor, Cheong said. Kim Jong Il - the "Dear Leader" - formally assumed leadership upon his father's death in 1994.

Kim Duk-hong, a high-profile defector from North Korea who witnessed the "70-day battle," said such campaigns are designed to strengthen the leader's totalitarian rule and lay the groundwork for a transfer of power.

For years, Kim Jong Il's eldest son Jong Nam, 38, was considered the favorite to succeed his father until he was caught trying to enter Japan on a fake passport in 2001, reportedly to visit the Disney resort.

Kim considers the middle son, Jong Chol, too effeminate, according to the leader's former sushi chef.

Jong Un, however, is the "spitting image" of his father and the leader's favorite, the chef, who goes by the pen name Kenji Fujimoto, wrote in a 2003 memoir.

Jong Un reportedly is the only one of the sons with a military background, key in a regime run on a "songun," or "military first," policy, said Paik Hak-soon of the Sejong Institute.

His uncle, Jang Song Thaek, a member of the all-powerful National Defense Commission with strong military and political connections, will likely guide and advise him, he said, noting that Jang is in charge of North Korean intelligence, and has political control of the prosecutor's office, the police and the courts.

"He is everything in providing power to Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un in carrying out the succession," Paik said.

However, Kim Duk-hong, the defector, refused to believe the succession claims. Kim, who served on the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party for 16 years before fleeing North Korea in 1997, said Kim Il Sung laid out three criteria for the leader: the successor must share his bloodline, serve on the Central Committee and achieve a high-ranking government position.

He said only the middle son qualifies. "Jong Chol is the only person who has had a key position on the party's Central Committee," he told The Associated Press in an interview.

Little is known about Kim Jong Un. Unlike his eldest brother, who is closely trailed by the media during gambling trips to Macau, Jong Un has made few public forays overseas since his Switzerland days.

The one photo purportedly showing him as a boy cannot be verified, and there are no known images of Jong Un as an adult.

He studied at the International School of Bern in Switzerland in the late 1990s, reportedly registered under the pseudonym Chol Pak.

Susanna Schranz, a spokeswoman for the private school, which enrolls students ages 3-19, refused to comment, noting that for some parents, "discretion is really important."

Heidi Uetz, a former German teacher, recalled that there were two North Korean students at the school then, one of them named Chol Pak.

Gordon Adler, an ex-director, said he never knew the boy's real name.

"The only time I met him was the day he came in and he was signed up," he said. "The boy didn't say a word. When they signed him up, they used a different name. I guess it was a clever move by them."

A Swiss news magazine, L'Hebdo, reported earlier this year that classmates recalled him as timid and introverted but an avid skier, basketball player and fan of NBA star Michael Jordan. He was humble and willing to step in to break up schoolyard fights, a former school director told the magazine.

A car arrived every day after school to pick him up, the report said; classmates and school officials assumed he was the driver's son.

Jong Un was ordered to avoid going out, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. When he did leave home to get a bite to eat, the North Korean ambassador accompanied him, the report said.

After returning to Pyongyang, he attended the Kim Il Sung Military University, graduating in 2007, Yonhap said. Unnamed sources described him as ambitious and "aggressive, shrewd and capricious."

But there are rumors the 2004 death of his mother, Japanese-born former dancer Ko Yong Hi, took a toll on the young man, Yonhap said.

A diminutive 5-foot-6, he drank heavily after her death from cancer and ballooned to nearly 200 pounds, and is now suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes, the report said.

Top Democrat: Sotomayor would follow the law

Top Democrat: Sotomayor would follow the law

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, center, walks down a staircase in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 2,2009, to her meeting with the Senate Judiciary Committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor sought Tuesday to hit back against GOP charges that she would let her background dictate her rulings, telling senators in both parties that she would follow the law as a justice.

In private meetings that marked her Capitol Hill debut, Sotomayor, who would be the high court's first Hispanic and its third woman, explained her views of a judge's role and the impact of her life experiences to leaders of the Judiciary Committee, which will have the first crack at weighing her confirmation.

"Ultimately and completely, a judge has to follow the law no matter what their upbringing has been," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the panel chairman, quoted President Barack Obama's nominee as saying in their closed-door session on Capitol Hill.

Leahy had asked Sotomayor, 54, what she meant when she said in 2001 that she hoped her decisions as a "wise Latina" would be better than those of a white male who hadn't had the same experiences. Prominent Republicans have cited the 2001 remark to call her a racist.

Leahy said the judge told him: "Of course one's life experience shapes who you are, but ... as a judge, you follow the law."

Sen. Jeff Sessions, of Alabama, the top Republican on the committee, said Sotomayor used those words with him as well, but he appeared to come away from the meetings unconvinced about Sotomayor's approach and whether she would be an "activist" who tried to set policy from the bench.

"She used those words, and of course the question is what is the law? How does a judge find the law, and what approach to statutory construction do they utilize?" Sessions said.

Sessions, who is to meet Wednesday with Leahy to discuss scheduling Sotomayor's confirmation process, said he thought hearings should wait until September.

"I don't think it's good to rush," he said.

Leahy called the criticism against Sotomayor "among the most vicious attacks that have been received by anybody" and said the rhetoric demands hearings, "sooner than later." Democrats hope to begin the sessions as early as the first full week of July.

Leahy said he asked the judge whether he could repeat publicly what she told him privately during their meeting about how her personal experiences as the New York-born daughter of Puerto Rican parents who was reared in a housing project and went on to Princeton and Yale before ascending to the highest legal echelons would shape her rulings.

Leahy quoted Sotomayor as saying, "There's not one law for one race or another. There's not one law for one color or another. There's not one law for rich, a different one for poor. There's only one law."

Radio host Rush Limbaugh and former House Speaker New Gingrich have both branded Sotomayor a racist, and Limbaugh went on to compare choosing her for the high court to nominating former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

Leahy defended Sotomayor on Tuesday, saying he was proud of his own Irish-Italian background and his wife's French-Canadian background. "Does that make us racist?" he said. "She is not a racist."

Earlier in the day, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called Sotomayor's life story "compelling," and said it appealed to the public.

"We have the whole package here," Reid said. "America identifies with the underdog, and you've been an underdog many times in your life, but always the top dog."

His comments came as a new Associated Press-GfK poll showed that Americans have a more favorable first impression of Sotomayor than they did for any of former President George W. Bush's nominees to the high court, and backs her confirmation in higher numbers.

Sotomayor was scheduled to meet with 10 senators during her first day on Capitol Hill, retreating to Vice President Joe Biden's office between sessions to huddle with White House handlers, a team heavy with confirmation battle veterans who are guiding her nomination.

Among those she was to see Tuesday were Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, members of the Judiciary Committee. She was having lunch with her home state Democratic senators, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, her unofficial chaperone during the confirmation process, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Feinstein said she would ask Sotomayor about the "wise Latina" comment, which she said had been "made into something egregious." She said she also wants to discuss important constitutional topics including abortion, a hot-button issue on which Sotomayor's views are not known .

"I'll ask her how she views the constitutional right to privacy," Feinstein said, adding that she "might" inquire about Sotomayor's position on the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a woman's right to end her pregnancy.

Moyer wins 250th game as Phils double up Nats

It took awhile, but Jamie Moyer
finally earned his 250th win.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Jamie Moyer reached a rare mark for a pitcher, becoming the 44th to win 250 games. The veteran Phillies left-hander would have been just as happy if it was his first.

Moyer went six strong innings to lead the Phillies to their third straight victory, 4-2 over the bumbling Washington Nationals on Sunday.

The 46-year-old Moyer is only the 11th left-hander to join the exclusive 250-win list. And despite his teammates' postgame champagne toast, Moyer's words lacked the excitement one might expect after such a rare achievement.

"It's not about the personal things, I'm more excited about us winning," Moyer said. "I really haven't thought about (winning 250). It takes so much effort to prepare and play. I was taught to play the game as a team, not as an individual. When you play 20-some years, some of these things can happen."

Moyer is pitching his 23rd season for his seventh club. It was his sixth try at 250 after going winless in his last five outings while allowing 38 hits and 26 earned runs in 24 1-3 innings.

"I really wasn't concerned about how many attempts, I was concerned about creating consistency with myself," he said.

Moyer (4-5) had one his best starts of the season Sunday, striking out four and walking none while registering a season-low hits allowed. It was Moyer's first win since April 26.

And while he was reluctant to laud his milestone, others offered praise - especially for a pitcher who has reached 250 wins with a fastball in the low 80s.

"It's impressive how much he's persevered in this game," Nationals manager Manny Acta said. "He's been written off several times. It's remarkable and he sets a great example. I'm happy for him."

Said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, "A guy like Jamie and the type of pitcher he is, what he's had to earn and his ups and downs, it says a lot about the individual. For a guy with his ability, how he goes about it, how he gets it done, you don't see many guys like that."

Brad Lidge pitched a scoreless ninth to record his 12th save.

The Phillies (28-20) have won seven straight against Washington and 10 of 12 this season against the major league baseball's worst team. Josh Willingham homered twice for the Nationals (13-36), who have lost six in a row and 15 of their last 17.

Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead in the first on Chase Utley's double, and Chris Coste's second-inning homer to left made it 2-0.

Willingham homered to left in the fourth to pull Washington within 2-1, but Philadelphia got the run back in the bottom of the frame when Raul Ibanez scored on a fielder's choice.

Willingham led off the seventh with his second homer, this one to deep left field, off reliever Clay Condrey to close the margin again to 3-2. Once again, the Phillies came back with a run in the bottom of the frame, as Ryan Howard tripled to center - his second triple of the season - to score Utley and put Philadelphia ahead 4-2.

Lannan (2-5) allowed only four hits in five innings while striking out seven, but fell to 0-3 in three career starts at Citizens Bank Park.

"Lannan gave us a chance to win and he threw the ball well," Acta said.

"I felt great. I just walked too many guys," said Lannan, who walked four.

Notes

Willingham has six career multihomer games. ... Moyer is 8-0 in his last 12 starts against the Washington franchise and 13-4 all-time. ... Nick Johnson went 0 for 3 against Moyer, dropping him to 1 for 21 lifetime against the lefty. ... Howard struck out twice against Lannan and the slugger now has nine K's in 19 at-bats against the Washington left-hander.

Views & Opinions at Phila. Front Page News; "Sports At Phila. Front Page News; LeBron James say...":

Views & Opinions at Phila. Front Page News; "Sports At Phila. Front Page News; LeBron James say...":

I still feel NY is where he will be. He has the best chance to be paired with a superstar and also will have Madison Avenue begging for his likeness.

by Expectation

Bar Refaeli Naked And Painted For Esquire Bar Refaeli Esquire Esquire is taking the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue approach to magazine sales, as

Bar Refaeli Naked And Painted For Esquire

Esquire is taking the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue approach to magazine sales, as they have a naked, painted on Bar Refaeli on the cover of their July issue.

The Israeli beauty sexes up fiction and has the magazine's contents scrawled across her body, with a new Stephen King short story teased on her arms.

Obamas Date Night PHOTOS: Barack Takes Michelle To NYC For Dinner, Broadway Play

Obamas Date Night PHOTOS: Barack Takes Michelle To NYC For Dinner, Broadway Play

President Barack Obama made good on a campaign promise to his
most important supporter Saturday night -- his wife, Michelle.
The president and first lady jetted to a date in New York late
Saturday afternoon, aides and media in tow. Click through to read more.

NEW YORK (AP) - President Barack Obama made good on a campaign promise to his most important supporter Saturday night -- his wife, Michelle.

The president and first lady jetted to a date in New York late Saturday afternoon, aides and media in tow.

"I am taking my wife to New York City because I promised her during the campaign that I would take her to a Broadway show after it was all finished," the president said in a statement an aide read to the press.

After dining a little more than two hours at Blue Hill, a West Village restaurant touted by New York magazine as a "seminal Greenmarket haven" that features food grown by chef and owner Dan Barber on his upstate farm, the president and first lady headed to the Belasco Theater to make curtain call for "Joe Turner's Come and Gone."

The play by August Wilson is about black America in the early 1900s, with residents of a boardinghouse recalling their migration from the sharecropping farms of the South to the industrialized North.

As the motorcade left the West Village and drove up Sixth Avenue to the theater, crowds of people, at times about eight deep, gathered on the sidewalks of the blockaded streets to wave as the Obamas passed. Some cheered. Cab drivers opened their doors and stood on the frames of their taxis to glimpse the president and first lady.

The White House declined to say how much the trip was costing taxpayers, and even before the smaller jet left Washington, the there-and-back trip drew criticism from the Republican National Committee. The RNC issued a news release that chastised Obama for saying he understands American's troubles, but then hopping up to New York for "a night on the town."

Noting that General Motors is expected to file for Chapter 11 protection on Monday, the news release said: "Putting on a show: Obamas wing into the city for an evening out while another iconic American company prepares for bankruptcy."

In an interview before his inauguration, Barack Obama said he and his wife like having "date nights," usually on Fridays. Since moving to Washington, the Obamas have managed to fit in at least a few nights out in the nation's capital.

While on a trip to New York last week, Michelle Obama was reminded about the couple's first date.

"You know, after 20-some-odd years of knowing a guy, you forget that your first date was at a museum," she said. "But it was, and it was obviously wonderful. It worked."

Before traveling to New York, the Obamas watched daughter Malia's soccer game for an hour Saturday morning.

Step-Grandson of Boxer Joe Frazier Killed in North Phila. Bar

Step-Grandson of Boxer Joe Frazier Killed in North Phila. Bar

by KYW's John Ostapkovich

Philadelphia police are asking for the public's help in finding whoever killed a relative of boxing great Joe Frazier.

The step-grandson of Smokin' Joe was working the grand opening of the "Pleasures On The Ridge" bar, near 22nd St. and Ridge Avenue in North Philadelphia.

Homicide unit captain James Clark says that early Sunday morning two patrons got into an argument, pulled guns, and started firing. One bullet hit 25-year-old Peter Lyde Jr. in the chest, killing him.

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Phila. Police on Alert After Cyber-Driven Mob Attacks

Phila. Police on Alert After Cyber-Driven Mob Attacks

by KYW's Pat Loeb

Philadelphia police are dealing with a new challenge: teenagers using social media to gather in large groups and commit crimes.

Call it "wilding" for the information age. On Saturday night, as many as 1,000 teenagers gathered at Broad and South Streets, drawn by social networking web sites and texting, and went on a rampage.

Philadelphia police lieutenant Frank Vanore says they surrounded cars and robbed the occupants, stole and crashed a taxi (above), and looted a mini-mart at a Sunoco gas station:

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Police Investigate Rape of 11-Year-Old Girl in Kensington

Police Investigate Rape of 11-Year-Old Girl in Kensington

by KYW's Kim Glovas

Philadelphia police are asking for the public's help in finding the man who raped an 11-year-old girl on Monday morning as she made her way to school in West Kensington. They're hoping photos from surveillance video (above) of a person of interest in the attack will help focus leads.

The Fraternal Order of Police has issued a $10,000 reward in the case.

Capt. John Darby of the police department's Special Victims Unit says the girl had just dropped off a younger sibling at daycare about 8:20am when she was approached by a white male (depicted in sketch at right) in his 20s with black hair and facial hair, wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts with red and white stripes.

The victim said the man, who called himself "Alex," had deep cuts on his neck. Police recovered his glasses (below).

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Conan O'Brien making `Tonight' show debut

Conan O'Brien making `Tonight' show debut

In this photo provided by NBC, Conan O'Brien interviewed by Jay Leno during Leno's final taping as host of The Tonight Show in Burbank, Calif. on Friday, May 29, 2009.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Conan O'Brien debuts as "Tonight" show host Monday, taking over television's most historic late-night franchise in a transition five years in the making.

The network built a new studio for O'Brien, who is moving West after hosting NBC's "Late Night" in New York. O'Brien expects much of his comedy in the early going will reflect the lanky, red-haired personality's move from an East Coast culture to California.

Will Ferrell, who made several memorable visits to O'Brien's "Late Night," will be the first guest. Pearl Jam is the musical act.

The "Tonight" show provided late-night television's blueprint, and has thrived through the years with Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and Jay Leno. Leno inherited a first-place show, lost ground to David Letterman for a few years, but returned to the top and has remained there for more than a decade. He joked on his last show that the feat allows him to get his security deposit back.

Letterman is still at CBS to provide O'Brien with competition, along with a resurgent "Nightline" and Jimmy Kimmel on ABC and Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central. Between a multitude of cable stations and lists of recorded programs on DVRs, O'Brien faces a challenge for attention.

Leno - who will continue on the NBC schedule with a prime-time comedy hour five nights a week beginning in September - drew 16.1 million viewers for his 1993 debut and was averaging 5.2 million viewers this season, according to Nielsen Media Research.

NBC had announced in 2004 that O'Brien would take over this job, keeping him at the network when there was a risk he might leave without a promised promotion.

O'Brien and NBC were tamping down expectations initially, refusing to let reporters see his show in advance of its airing on the East Coast.

"I'm not going to cure cancer on the first show, and I'm not going to jump Snake River Canyon. I'm not going to levitate. Sometimes people forget this is the first show of what I hope will be many, many, many shows," O'Brien recently told The Associated Press.

Suspect in doctor's murder railed against abortion

Suspect in doctor's murder railed against abortion

In this Sunday, May 31, 2009 picture, Scott Roeder, left, detained by police after late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller was shot to death in a Wichita, Kan. church, is transported in a Ford Taurus from the Fred Allenbrand Justice complex in New Century, Kan.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- Scott Roeder harbored a burning, "eye-for-an-eye" anger toward abortion doctors. He once subscribed to a magazine suggesting "justifiable homicide" against them, and apparently likened Dr. George Tiller to the Nazi death-camp doctor Josef Mengele.

Roeder, 51, was in jail Monday on suspicion of murder, accused of shooting Tiller to death on Sunday as the doctor served as an usher at his Lutheran church in Wichita.

Police said it appears the gunman acted alone, and some anti-abortion groups moved quickly to distance themselves from the killing. Outside Tiller's clinic, the Kansas Coalition for Life placed signs saying members had prayed for Tiller's change of heart, "not his murder."

Roeder's ex-wife said his extreme anti-government beliefs contributed to the breakup of their marriage more than a decade ago. And Roeder's brother said he suffered from mental illness at various times in his life.

"However, none of us ever saw Scott as a person capable of or willing to take another person's life. Our deepest regrets, prayers and sympathy go out to the Tiller family during this terrible time," his brother, David, said in a statement to The Topeka Capital-Journal.

Roeder's family life began unraveling more than a decade ago when he got involved with anti-government groups, and then became "very religious in an Old Testament, eye-for-an-eye way," his former wife, Lindsey Roeder, told The Associated Press.

"The anti-tax stuff came first, and then it grew and grew. He became very anti-abortion," said Lindsey Roeder, who was married to Scott Roeder for 10 years but "strongly disagrees with his beliefs."

"That's all he cared about is anti-abortion. `The church is this. God is this.' Yadda yadda," she said.

Lindsey Roeder said that the early years of the marriage were good and that Scott Roeder worked in an envelope factory. But she said he moved out of their home after he became involved with the Freemen movement, an anti-government group that discouraged the paying of taxes. The Roeders have one son, now 22.

"When he moved out in 1994, I thought he was over the edge with that stuff," his ex-wife said. "He started falling apart. I had to protect myself and my son."

In 1996, Roeder (pronounced ROW-der) was arrested in Topeka after being stopped by sheriff's deputies because his car lacked a valid license plate. Instead, it bore a tag declaring him a "sovereign" and immune from state law. In the trunk, deputies found materials that could be assembled into a bomb.

He was convicted and sentenced to two years on probation and ordered to stop associating with violent anti-government groups. But the Kansas Court of Appeals overturned his conviction in 1997, ruling that authorities seized evidence against Roeder during an illegal search of his car.

The appeals court ruling appeared to energize him, Lindsey Roeder said.

"When they let him out because of the illegal search that made him even more self-righteous. He would say, `See, I'm right, and you're wrong,'" she said.

Some anti-abortion activists said they were familiar with Roeder. Regina Dinwiddie, a protester in the Kansas City area, said she had picketed a Planned Parenthood clinic with Roeder. She said she was "glad" about Tiller's death.

"I wouldn't cry for him no more than I would if somebody dropped a rat and killed it," she said.

It was not immediately clear Monday whether Roeder had a lawyer.

Someone using the name Scott Roeder posted comments about Tiller on anti-abortion Web sites, including one that referred to the doctor as the "concentration camp Mengele of our day" - a reference to the Nazi doctor who performed ghastly medical experiments on Jews and others at Auschwitz. The posting said Tiller "needs to be stopped before he and those who protect him bring judgment upon our nation."

In another posting, on an Operation Rescue Web site, Roeder suggested a visit to Tiller's church.

"Sometime soon, would it be feasible to organize as many people as possible to attend Tillers church (inside, not just outside) to have much more of a presence and possibly ask questions of the Pastor, Deacons, Elders and members while there?" he wrote. "Doesn't seem like it would hurt anything but bring more attention to Tiller."

Operation Rescue condemned Tiller's killing as vigilantism and "a cowardly act," and the group's president, Troy Newman, said Roeder "has never been a member, contributor or volunteer."

Dave Leach, publisher of the magazine Prayer and Action News, said he met Roeder about 15 years ago. A decade ago, Roeder subscribed to the quarterly magazine, which is published in Iowa and has said "justifiable homicide" against abortion providers can be supported, Leach said.

"Scott is not my hero in that sense; he has not inspired me to shoot an abortionist," Leach said in an e-mail. "But definitely, he will be the hero to thousands of babies who will not be slain because Scott sacrificed everything for them."

Bankruptcy filing could put GM on road to profits

Bankruptcy filing could put GM on road to profits

FILE - In this file photo taken March 13, 1996, workers leave the General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, Ky., following the end of their shift. President Barack Obama pushed a humbled General Motors Corp. into bankruptcy on Monday, June 1, 2009, and said the federal government will act as "reluctant shareholder" when it assumes a 60 percent ownership of the smaller car maker that emerges.

DETROIT (AP) -- General Motors' bankruptcy filing will do what its past chief executives could not - cleanse the century-old company of burdensome labor costs, unprofitable old factories and a boatload of debt.

The price was one that no GM chief was willing to pay until now. The slimmed-down company will be a ward of the U.S. government, 60 percent owned by taxpayers, with half of its eight brands just memories.

Industry analysts, GM executives and even President Barack Obama say GM now has the cost structure to compete in the global automotive market and one day return to profits. The company says it can make money even if U.S. auto sales stay weak.

The question is whether GM can generate enough profit to free itself of government control before the president or Congress rethink promises not to muck around in day-to-day management of the company.

First, though, GM needs people to start buying cars and trucks again. Worldwide sales are around historic lows. And the GM has to convince buyers in its home market that its cars are as good as those made by the Japanese.

GM reached a pact with the United Auto Workers that it says bring costs more in line with Japanese automakers that have U.S. plants. Monthly debt payments will drop dramatically because GM will owe only $9 billion rather than $67 billion.

GM says that will help it break even when the U.S. market is a paltry 10 million vehicles annually, far below the peak of 17 million earlier this decade. That almost guarantees profits, says Tom Libby, an independent Detroit-area auto analyst.

"I'm very confident they'll be highly profitable in years ahead because the industry is not going to stay at 10 million," he said, adding that the number of people of driving age is rising and there's pent-up demand for vehicles.

Most economists expect sales to begin recovering toward the end of this year, rising to 12 million or 13 million in 2010 or 2011.

Any recovery for GM is predicated on selling cars that people want to buy.

Bob Lutz, a GM vice chairman who is retiring at the end of the year after more than four decades in the auto business, maintains that the automaker sold hundreds of thousands of pickup trucks and SUVs because that's what Americans wanted when gasoline was cheap.

The Obama administration wants a smaller, more efficient fleet to help end the country's reliance on foreign oil and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Yet if gasoline stays cheap and SUV and pickup sales rebound, that would be diametrically opposed to the administration's goals. The administration says it has no intention of meddling in GM's products.

"What I am not doing, what I have no interest in doing, is running GM," President Barack Obama said Monday.

Some analysts say it may not be so clear-cut. Michael Robinet, vice president of CSM Worldwide, a Detroit-area auto industry consulting firm, is concerned that the government and the UAW, which will hold a 17.5 percent stake, could become too involved in GM's daily affairs.

"The decision-making matrix is very muddy," he said. "Will the union and/or the government step aside and let the decisions be made? That remains to be seen."

Government ownership of auto companies has had limited success in the past.

British Leyland was partly nationalized in 1975, joining all British car brands into a single company. When the move failed, critics blamed a lack of strong new car designs and ongoing industrial disputes.

The bulk of the business was sold to aircraft manufacturer BAE before being sold off in pieces to foreign investors. BMW acquired Rover and Mini, Ford bought Jaguar and Land Rover, and Nanjing automobile bought MG.

GM also needs a speedy trip through bankruptcy court to get past bad publicity.

John Pottow, a University of Michigan Law School professor who specializes in bankruptcy, said even a company the size of GM can make it through Chapter 11 in two to three months. Having the union, at least a majority of bondholders, and other agreements already in place will help, he said.

Once it's out of bankruptcy court, GM still has to address the issue of quality. Even its biggest boosters concede Detroit made poor-quality cars in the 1980s and 90s, sending many loyal customers to Honda and Toyota.

"Because of poor quality in the past, everybody out there thinks we're still producing junk," said Jim Harbour, author of a book on auto manufacturing and the man who developed a widely followed annual measure of factory productivity.

But Lutz and Robinet say GM is making far better cars now than in the past, pointing to the Chevrolet Malibu sedan. The Buick Lacrosse was the top midsize sedan in J.D. Power's three-year quality rankings, and Buick tied for the top brand.

The company has also been making the transition to fuel efficiency, rolling out six-speed automatic transmissions and new four-cylinder engine technology that pushed highway gas mileage higher even for midsize cars and small SUVs. Rechargeable electric cars are in the works.

GM must also overcome the stigma of bankruptcy and the buyers' fears that it won't be around to honor warranties or make parts. The government has guaranteed GM warranties.

At its peak in 1979, GM employed 853,000 people around the world and nearly 620,000 in the United States, and its chief executives concentrated mostly on keeping the company growing.

But John F. "Jack" Smith, who led the company in the 1990s, Rick Wagoner, ousted from the top spot earlier this year, couldn't shrink a company that had become huge and, bureaucratic. The United Auto Workers union had the power to shut down the company with a strike, and GM was crippled by health care and pension burdens of its aging force of active and retired workers.

"One of the reasons why the automobile business is so hard to run is that so many of the problems are intractable," said Lutz. "The room for maneuvering, short of being in a crisis like the one we're in, is very very limited," he said.

Today, GM employs 235,000 workers globally and 91,000 in the U.S., and new plans to close or idle 12 factories and make other cuts will mean shedding more than 20,000 jobs. Chapter 11 means the changes coming to the company, for better or worse, will be profound.

"We've seen some sort of evolutionary changes, but this is going to be a major change," Libby said. "Many of the things that have been pulling them down are going to be gone."