Yankees clinch AL East, home field thru postseason

Yankees clinch AL East, home field thru postseason

New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira hits a solo home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in New York, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Andy Pettitte and the New York Yankees wrapped up the AL East title and home-field advantage throughout the postseason with a neat bow, beating the Boston Red Sox 4-2 Sunday for their 100th win of the year.

Hideki Matsui's go-ahead single in the sixth inning energized the damp fans and put them on notice that a party was coming. The first real celebration at the new Yankee Stadium began with a most familiar scene - Mariano Rivera on the mound, closing out another clinching victory.

"This one is special. We haven't been there," Rivera said, pausing to smile in a champagne-soaked clubhouse, "since last year."

Catcher Jose Molina leaped up from behind the plate even before Rivera had fielded Jacoby Ellsbury's soft comebacker for the final out. The Yankees swarmed Rivera on the first-base side of the mound while players in the bullpen streamed in.

Nick Swisher wasted no time putting on an AL East Champions hat. The crowd responded with a standing ovation as the Yankees began walking off the field, with captain Derek Jeter at the front and several teammates pulling on gray championship T-shirts.

"It's nice to come here and do what we were capable of doing," Swisher said.

The Yankees won their first division title since 2006 and, after missing the playoffs last year, let loose with wild champagne sprays in the locker room. Several players wore goggles to protect against the sting.

Plastic sheets covered the high-tech clubhouse, outfitted with computer screens at every stall and flat-screen televisions overhead. Asked before the game how his team might celebrate, manager Joe Girardi said: "I think our guys will be respectful of their home."

All alone in first place since July 21, the team with the best record in the majors can now spend the final week resting its players and setting up the playoff rotation.

Still to be determined is who New York will meet in the best-of-five opening round, and when. They'll most likely face the AL Central winner, either Detroit or Minnesota.

Once all the playoff teams are determined, the Yankees will get 1 hour to decide which playoff schedule they prefer. They can choose to start on either Oct. 7 or Oct. 8; the earlier start date includes a day off between the first two games.

Despite the defeat, the Red Sox remain in firm control of the wild-card race. Their magic number remained at three to beat out Texas for the final playoff spot.

Pettitte (14-7) outpitched Paul Byrd (1-3) and Rivera finished for his 44th save in 46 chances.

Boston put two runners on base in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Victor Martinez's 25-game hitting streak ended when his grounder was ruled an error on second baseman Robinson Cano.

The Yankees finished 9-9 against Boston this year. Surprising, since New York lost the first eight matchups.

After a 63-minute rain delay at the outset, the Yankees beat Boston for the seventh straight time at home.

Matsui met Red Sox reliever Takashi Saito with a two-out, two-run single in the sixth barely in front of right fielder J.D. Drew's dive. Mark Teixeira's solo homer in the eighth provided insurance.

"This team is so talented, this team has so many weapons," Teixeira said. "Hopefully, there are a few more celebrations."

Mike Lowell hit an RBI single off Pettitte's left foot in the first inning. Lowell grounded into a bases-loaded, no-out double play in the third that made it 2-0.

Melky Cabrera homered in the Yankees third.

Cano singled for his 200th hit this year. He joined Jeter as the only second base-shortstop teammate tandem to reach the mark in the same season, the Elias Sports Bureau said.

NOTES: The Yankees won their 16th division title since 1969, matching Atlanta's mark. ... Yankees C Jorge Posada sat out for the second straight day because of muscle spasms near his neck. Girardi said Posada was "definitely better." ... Boston LHP Jon Lester, hit near the right knee by a line drive Friday night, continued to improve. He might skip a throwing session this week, but remains on schedule for his next start.

Vick does little in return, Eagles rout Chiefs

Vick does little in return, Eagles rout Chiefs

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb passes in the second
quarter of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs,
Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA — Michael Vick was a super decoy.

Getting significant contributions from their youngsters and backups, the Philadelphia Eagles routed the Kansas City Chiefs 34-14 in Vick's return to the NFL on Sunday.

The Eagles didn't need much from Vick and they got nothing from Donovan McNabb or Brian Westbrook, who both sat out with injuries.

Kevin Kolb threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns, LeSean McCoy had 84 yards rushing and one TD, and DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek each had 100-plus yards receiving and one score for Philadelphia (2-1).

Kolb became the first quarterback to throw for 300 yards in his first two career starts. While he did most of the work, Vick got all the attention.

Playing his first regular-season game since Dec. 31, 2006 — 1,001 days ago — Vick ran once for 7 yards and threw two incomplete passes.

"It's a different role, but it is what it is," Vick said. "It was a small look. We have so much in store for the future."

Vick will have more chances to display the skills that earned him the Superman nickname back when he was a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons. For now, he's content doing whatever it takes to help the Eagles win.

"It's a different scenario. It's hard. I haven't been in this before," he said. "I tell myself to stay loose and be ready for whenever they call my number and play within the framework of the offense."

McNabb missed his second straight game with a broken rib. Westbrook sat out with a sore ankle. It was no problem against the Chiefs (0-3). Kolb, a third-year pro, and McCoy, a rookie second-round pick, filled in nicely.

"We recognized that Donovan and Westbrook were out," Kolb said. "It was an opportunity for us to prove why they drafted us. We focused on dominating them."

Vick, who served 18 months in prison on a federal dogfighting charge, didn't have to wait long to get on the field. He entered to a semi-standing ovation for the second play from scrimmage, was split wide as receiver and came around for a fake reverse.

Overall, Vick got in for 11 plays. He lined up at receiver once, took the snap in shotgun formation nine times and was directly under center once. Kolb was on the sideline for the 10 plays Vick was in at QB.

Vick was expected to run Philadelphia's version of the wildcat offense, but McCoy took most of those snaps.

With Vick on the field, the Eagles gained a net total of 30 yards. They got 390 without him. Or McNabb. Or Westbrook.

"We wanted to gradually get him in and get him back to game speed and knock some rust off," Eagles coach Andy Reid said of Vick.

Matt Cassel threw for 90 yards and two TDs for Kansas City. The Chiefs remained winless under new coach Todd Haley.

"We have the talent to compete with anyone," Cassel said. "We just have to eliminate the bad football and the penalties."

Jackson finished with a career-high 149 yards receiving, including a 64-yard TD. Celek had 104 yards on eight catches.

The normally pass-happy Eagles were more balanced during their first two scoring drives. After Kolb connected with Jason Avant for a 10-yard gain on third-and-6, three straight running plays moved the ball to the Chiefs 5.

Then Vick, who had a 7-yard run on his second snap, fired a pass out of bounds under heavy pressure and took a hard hit. McCoy took the next snap in the wildcat and ran in for his first career TD to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

Kolb hit Jackson for 43 yards on the next possession to move the Eagles into Kansas City territory. Vick handed off to McCoy for an 11-yard run on his only play during the series. Kolb sneaked in from the 1 to put Philadelphia ahead 14-0.

The Chiefs took advantage of good field position after the Eagles failed to convert a fourth-and-1 at Kansas City's 44. With Vick watching from the sideline, Kolb rolled out and his pass was knocked down by Mike Vrabel.

Cassel's 13-yard TD pass to Mark Bradley cut it to 14-7.

But the Eagles answered on their first play after the kickoff. Jackson turned Kolb's short pass over the middle into a 64-yard TD to make it 21-7. Jackson dove into the end zone and appeared to land awkwardly on his gimpy groin as he did a half split, but he stayed in.

Kolb zipped a 35-yard TD pass to Celek midway through the fourth quarter to put the game way out of reach.

Kolb threw for 391 yards, two TDs and three interceptions in a 48-22 loss to New Orleans last week. Kolb completed 24 of 34 passes and had a QB rating of 120.6 against the Chiefs.

Notes: The Eagles inducted former QB Randall Cunningham and OL Al Wistert into the team's honor roll at halftime. ... Philadelphia improved to 5-6 the week before a bye under Reid. ... Jackson has four career 100-yard receiving games — two last September and two this September. He's the first Eagles player to have TD receptions of 60-plus yards in consecutive games since Mike Quick in 1985. ... Celek is the first Eagles tight end to have consecutive 100-yard games since Pete Retzlaff in 1965.

Boondocks at Phila. Front Page News

Boondocks at Phila. Front Page News

A Billie Holiday Tribute Concert to Benefit an Historic City Church

A Billie Holiday Tribute Concert to Benefit an Historic City Church

by KYW's Lauren Lipton

On Sunday, October 4th, you are invited to a concert to pay tribute to Philadelphia-born singing legend Billie Holiday, and at the same time make sure another Philadelphia jewel continues to shine.

Rev. Rodger Broadley is rector of the Church of St. Luke and The Epiphany, at 330 S. 13th Street in center city:

"We're putting on a new giant roof on this old, old, old Greek Revival building, the largest in the city. When you walk by the front, you see the banner that says, 'After 170 years, who wouldn't need a facelift?' "

Rev. Broadley explains why most of the proceeds from the upcoming concert will go toward the new roof:

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Vick's 1st Game With Eagles is Met With Mixed Reaction

Vick's 1st Game With Eagles is Met With Mixed Reaction

by KYW’s Al Novack

While many of the formerly loyal Eagle’s fans are now questioning performance and team tactics, animal rights groups planned a demonstration before Sunday’s game at the Linc.

The controversy surrounding the Eagles among some people continues to be the hiring and use of Michael Vick.

Kevin Kolb is scheduled to make his second straight start for the birds if Donovan McNabb can't play. Also in the line-up for his first regular NFL game in 33-months is Michael Vick. That has animal rights activists in an uproar.

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Under pressure for nukes, Iran test fires missiles

Under pressure for nukes, Iran test fires missiles

In this photo released by the Iranian semi-official Fars News Agency, Revolutionary Guard's Tondar missile is launched in a drill, Sunday Sept. 27, 2009, near the city of Qom, 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Tehran, Iran. Iran said it successfully test-fired short-range missiles during military drills Sunday by the elite Revolutionary Guard, a show of force days after the U.S. warned Tehran over a newly revealed underground nuclear facility it was secretly constructing.

TEHRAN (AP) -- Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said it successfully test-fired short-range missiles Sunday in drills meant to show Tehran is prepared to crush any military threat from another country.

The display of force comes days after the U.S. and its allies warned Iran over a newly revealed nuclear facility it was secretly constructing.

Gen. Hossein Salami, head of the Revolutionary Guard Air Force, said Iran had perfected its short range missiles to make them more accurate in tactical battlefield situations and defend the country from any attacks.

"We are going to respond to any military action in a crushing manner and it doesn't make any difference which country or regime has launched the aggression," state media quoted Salami as saying. He said the missiles successfully hit their targets.

The tests came two days after the U.S. and its allies disclosed that Iran had been secretly developing a previously unknown underground uranium enrichment facility and warned the country it must open the nuclear site to international inspection or face harsher international sanctions.

The missiles tested weren't the kind that can carry a nuclear warhead. Iran is developing such ballistic missiles, but the U.S. believes that effort has been slowed.

But the timing of the missile tests has been widely interpreted as an Iranian show of force in the face of the international storm of criticism over the secret facility.

Tehran carried out the missile tests now "to show some muscle, show some strength, and say the game is not over for Iran yet," said Alex Vatanka, a senior middle east analyst at IHS Jane's. He noted that Iran will be meeting with the Western powers in Geneva next week.

"They felt going into these meetings next week that they needed to have something else to bolster their position, and I think that Iran's Revolutionary Guard showing a bit of military muscle here is part of that," he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she doesn't believe Iran can convince the U.S. and other world powers at the upcoming meeting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, putting Tehran on a course for tougher economic penalties beyond the current "leaky sanctions."

The Iranians must "present convincing evidence as to the purpose of their nuclear program. We don't believe that they can present convincing evidence, that it's only for peaceful purposes, but we are going to put them to the test," Clinton told CBS' "Face the Nation."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates arguing that pressuring Tehran economically and diplomatically would have a better chance of changing the Tehran government's policies than military strikes against the nuclear site.

"The reality is, there is no military option that does anything more than buy time," he told CNN's "State of the Union" in an interview broadcast Sunday.

The nuclear site was revealed in the arid mountains near the holy city of Qom is believed to be inside a heavily guarded, underground facility belonging to the Revolutionary Guard, according to a document sent by President Barack Obama's administration to lawmakers.

After the strong condemnations from the U.S. and its allies, Iran said Saturday it will allow U.N. nuclear inspectors to examine the site.

Israel has trumpeted the latest discoveries as proof of its long-held assertion that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons.

"The revelation of the secret Iranian facility also demonstrates to even the most skeptical people the evil intentions of Iran," said Danny Ayalon, Israel's deputy foreign minister.

"The Iran's ongoing military maneuvers including the last one and all their missile tests are a huge challenge to the international community," he added in an interview with Israel's Channel 10 Sunday.

By U.S. estimates, Iran is one to five years away from having nuclear weapons capability, although U.S. intelligence also believes that Iranian leaders have not yet made the decision to build a weapon.

Iran also is developing ballistic missiles that could carry a nuclear warhead, but the administration said last week that it believes that effort has been slowed. That assessment paved the way for Obama's decision to shelve the Bush administration's plan for a missile shield in Europe, which was aimed at defending against Iranian ballistic missiles.

Salami said Iran would test medium-range Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 missiles on Sunday night and a longer-range Shahab-3 missiles on Monday, during drills set to last several days.

Iran's last known missile tests were in May when it fired its longest-range solid-fuel missile, Sajjil-2. Tehran said the two-stage surface-to-surface missile has a range of about 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) - capable of striking Israel, U.S. Mideast bases and southeastern Europe.

More school: Obama would curtail summer vacation

More school: Obama would curtail summer vacation

Seventh grade students at Edwards Middle School work on guinea-pig heart during their science class Thursday, June 18, 2009, in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Students beware: The summer vacation you just enjoyed could be sharply curtailed if President Barack Obama gets his way.

Obama says American kids spend too little time in school, putting them at a disadvantage with other students around the globe.

"Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas," the president said earlier this year. "Not with Malia and Sasha, not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom."

The president, who has a sixth-grader and a third-grader, wants schools to add time to classes, to stay open late and to let kids in on weekends so they have a safe place to go.

"Our school calendar is based upon the agrarian economy and not too many of our kids are working the fields today," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

Fifth-grader Nakany Camara is of two minds. She likes the four-week summer program at her school, Brookhaven Elementary School in Rockville, Md. Nakany enjoys seeing her friends there and thinks summer school helped boost her grades from two Cs to the honor roll.

But she doesn't want a longer school day. "I would walk straight out the door," she said.

Domonique Toombs felt the same way when she learned she would stay for an extra three hours each day in sixth grade at Boston's Clarence R. Edwards Middle School.

"I was like, `Wow, are you serious?'" she said. "That's three more hours I won't be able to chill with my friends after school."

Her school is part of a 3-year-old state initiative to add 300 hours of school time in nearly two dozen schools. Early results are positive. Even reluctant Domonique, who just started ninth grade, feels differently now. "I've learned a lot," she said.

Does Obama want every kid to do these things? School until dinnertime? Summer school? And what about the idea that kids today are overscheduled and need more time to play?

---

Obama and Duncan say kids in the United States need more school because kids in other nations have more school.

"Young people in other countries are going to school 25, 30 percent longer than our students here," Duncan told the AP. "I want to just level the playing field."

While it is true that kids in many other countries have more school days, it's not true they all spend more time in school.

Kids in the U.S. spend more hours in school (1,146 instructional hours per year) than do kids in the Asian countries that persistently outscore the U.S. on math and science tests - Singapore (903), Taiwan (1,050), Japan (1,005) and Hong Kong (1,013). That is despite the fact that Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong have longer school years (190 to 201 days) than does the U.S. (180 days).

---

Regardless, there is a strong case for adding time to the school day.

Researcher Tom Loveless of the Brookings Institution looked at math scores in countries that added math instruction time. Scores rose significantly, especially in countries that added minutes to the day, rather than days to the year.

"Ten minutes sounds trivial to a school day, but don't forget, these math periods in the U.S. average 45 minutes," Loveless said. "Percentage-wise, that's a pretty healthy increase."

In the U.S., there are many examples of gains when time is added to the school day.

Charter schools are known for having longer school days or weeks or years. For example, kids in the KIPP network of 82 charter schools across the country go to school from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., more than three hours longer than the typical day. They go to school every other Saturday and for three weeks in the summer. KIPP eighth-grade classes exceed their school district averages on state tests.

In Massachusetts' expanded learning time initiative, early results indicate that kids in some schools do better on state tests than do kids at regular public schools. The extra time, which schools can add as hours or days, is for three things: core academics - kids struggling in English, for example, get an extra English class; more time for teachers; and enrichment time for kids.

Regular public schools are adding time, too, though it is optional and not usually part of the regular school day. Their calendar is pretty much set in stone. Most states set the minimum number of school days at 180 days, though a few require 175 to 179 days.

Several schools are going year-round by shortening summer vacation and lengthening other breaks.

Many schools are going beyond the traditional summer school model, in which schools give remedial help to kids who flunked or fell behind.

Summer is a crucial time for kids, especially poorer kids, because poverty is linked to problems that interfere with learning, such as hunger and less involvement by their parents.

That makes poor children almost totally dependent on their learning experience at school, said Karl Alexander, a sociology professor at Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University, home of the National Center for Summer Learning.

Disadvantaged kids, on the whole, make no progress in the summer, Alexander said. Some studies suggest they actually fall back. Wealthier kids have parents who read to them, have strong language skills and go to great lengths to give them learning opportunities such as computers, summer camp, vacations, music lessons, or playing on sports teams.

"If your parents are high school dropouts with low literacy levels and reading for pleasure is not hard-wired, it's hard to be a good role model for your children, even if you really want to be," Alexander said.

Extra time is not cheap. The Massachusetts program costs an extra $1,300 per student, or 12 percent to 15 percent more than regular per-student spending, said Jennifer Davis, a founder of the program. It received more than $17.5 million from the state Legislature last year.

The Montgomery County, Md., summer program, which includes Brookhaven, received $1.6 million in federal stimulus dollars to operate this year and next, but it runs for only 20 days.

Aside from improving academic performance, Education Secretary Duncan has a vision of schools as the heart of the community. Duncan, who was Chicago's schools chief, grew up studying alongside poor kids on the city's South Side as part of the tutoring program his mother still runs.

"Those hours from 3 o'clock to 7 o'clock are times of high anxiety for parents," Duncan said. "They want their children safe. Families are working one and two and three jobs now to make ends meet and to keep food on the table."

Swiss arrest Polanski on US request in sex case

Swiss arrest Polanski on US request in sex case

FILE - In this May 19, 2007 file photo, French director Roman Polanski arrives for the screening of the film "No Country For Old Men," at the 60th International film festival in Cannes, southern France. Polanski was taken into custody, Swiss police confirmed Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009 on a 1978 U.S. arrest warrant for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

ZURICH (AP) -- Director Roman Polanski was arrested by Swiss police as he flew in for the Zurich Film Festival and faces possible extradition to the United States for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977, authorities said Sunday.

Polanski was scheduled to receive an honorary award at the festival when he was apprehended Saturday at the airport, the Swiss Justice Ministry said in a statement. It said U.S. authorities have sought the arrest of the 76-year-old director around the world since 2005.

"There was a valid arrest request and we knew when he was coming," ministry spokesman Guido Balmer told The Associated Press. "That's why he was taken into custody."

Polanski, the director of such classic films as "Chinatown" and "Rosemary's Baby," fled the U.S. for France in 1978, a year after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with the underage girl.

Polanski has asked a U.S. appeals court in California to overturn a judges' refusal to throw out his case. He claims misconduct by the now-deceased judge who had arranged a plea bargain and then reneged on it.

His victim, Samantha Geimer, who long ago identified herself publicly, has joined in Polanski's bid for dismissal, saying she wants the case to be over. She sued Polanski and reached an undisclosed settlement.

Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the director will remain in Zurich until the conclusion of the extradition proceedings. The United States now has 60 days to file a formal request for Polanski's transfer, she said.

A U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman in Washington declined to comment on the case Sunday.

Polanski's French lawyer, Georges Kiejman, told France-Inter radio that it was "too early to know" if Polanski would be extradited.

"The proceedings must take their course," he said Sunday. "For now we are trying to have the arrest warrant lifted in Zurich."

Kiejman later told The Associated Press that France does not extradite its citizens and that U.S. authorities had never asked France to prosecute Polanski at home.

Balmer said Polanski's arrest was not influenced by politics, even though the director has often traveled or stayed in the country. Novelist Robert Harris, whose book "Ghost" is being made into a movie by the director, told Britain's Press Association that Polanski owns a house in Gstaad, which he has visited regularly while filming in Germany, and that there was never any warning he faced arrest.

In the Swiss capital of Bern, Widmer-Schlumpf told reporters that Switzerland had only one legal option for dealing with Polanski's visit, and rejected the idea that there was any U.S. pressure in ordering the arrest.

"I know his films, they impressed me very much," she said, but she underlined that Polanski could not be given special treatment because of his artistic talent, especially because the warrant was not for a trivial complaint.

Switzerland joined Europe's passport-free area in 2008 and ended all passport checks in March on flights to and from the 24 other countries participating in the agreement. Even before then, it rarely closely monitored the identities of travelers from neighboring European countries entering Switzerland.

Balmer also rejected that the arrest was somehow aimed at winning favor with the U.S. after a series of bilateral spats over tax evasion and wealthy Americans stashing money at Swiss banking giant UBS AG.

"There is no link with any other issues in question," he told The AP.

Investigators in the U.S. learned of Polanski's planned trip days ago, giving them enough time to lay the groundwork for an arrest, said William Sorukas, chief of the U.S. Marshals Service's domestic investigations branch.

"There have been other times through the years when we have learned of his potential travel but either those efforts fell through or he didn't make the trip," Sorukas told the AP.

Earlier this year, Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza in Los Angeles dismissed Polanski's bid to throw out the case because the director failed to appear in court to press his request, but said there was "substantial misconduct" in the handling of the original case.

In his ruling, Espinoza said he reviewed not only legal documents, but also watched the HBO documentary, "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired," which suggests there was behind-the-scenes manipulations by a now-retired prosecutor who was not assigned to the case.

Polanski has lived for the past three decades in France, where his career has continued to flourish; he received a directing Oscar in absentia for the 2002 movie "The Pianist." He is married to French actress Emanuelle Seigner, with whom he has two children.

He has avoided traveling to countries likely to extradite him. For instance, he testified by video link from Paris in a 2005 libel trial in London against Vanity Fair magazine. He did not want to enter Britain for fear of being arrested.

Rolf Haferkamp, a spokesman for prosecutors in Duisburg, Germany, declined to comment on why Polanski was not detained or arrested in Germany when he visited in 2008.

In Paris, Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand said that he was in contact with French President Nicolas Sarkozy "who is following the case with great attention and shares the minister's hope that the situation can be quickly resolved."

Mitterrand added that he was "dumbfounded" by Polanski's arrest, adding that he "strongly regrets that a new ordeal is being inflicted on someone who has already experienced so many of them."

Those comments referred, in part, to the fact that Polanski, a native of France who was taken to Poland by his parents, escaped Krakow's Jewish ghetto as a child during World War II and lived off the charity of strangers. His mother died at the Nazis' Auschwitz death camp.

Polanski worked his way into filmmaking in Poland, gaining an Oscar nomination for best foreign-language film in 1964 for his "Knife in the Water." Offered entry to Hollywood, he directed the classic "Rosemary's Baby" in 1968.

But his life was shattered again in 1969 when his wife, actress Sharon Tate, and four other people were gruesomely murdered in Los Angeles by followers of cult figure Charles Manson. Tate was eight months pregnant at the time.

Polanski went on to make another American classic, "Chinatown," released in 1974.

In 1977, he was accused of raping the teenager while photographing her during a modeling session. The girl said Polanski plied her with champagne and part of a Quaalude pill at Jack Nicholson's house while the actor was away. She said that, despite her protests, he performed oral sex, intercourse and sodomy on her.

Polanski was allowed to plead guilty to one of six charges, unlawful sexual intercourse, and was sent to prison for 42 days of evaluation.

Lawyers agreed that would be his full sentence, but the judge tried to renege on the plea bargain. Aware the judge would sentence him to more prison time and require his voluntary deportation, Polanski fled.

Zurich Film Festival organizers said Polanski's detention had caused "shock and dismay," but said they would go ahead with Sunday's planned retrospective of the director's work, including "Knife in the Water," "Chinatown" and "The Pianist." The festival runs from Sept. 24 to Oct. 4.

The Swiss Directors Association sharply criticized authorities for what it deemed "not only a grotesque farce of justice, but also an immense cultural scandal."

France's Foreign Ministry said the French ambassador to Switzerland and the consul general in Zurich have contacted Swiss authorities about arranging a consular visit for Polanski.

Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner spoke to his Swiss counterpart, Micheline Calmy-Rey, to urge that "Polanski's rights be fully respected and that the case would quickly result in a favorable outcome," the statement said.

McNabb doubtful for Sunday

McNabb doubtful for Sunday

Kevin Kolb is expected to get his second straight start
at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend
against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Donovan McNabb could have a sideline view for Michael Vick’s debut.

McNabb is doubtful to play Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles host Kansas City because of a broken rib. Kevin Kolb will make his second straight start if McNabb can’t go. No matter who’s under center, Vick will play his first regular-season game in 33 months.

“We put some things in for him,” coach Andy Reid said Friday. “He will be up and we’ll go from there.”

Vick is expected to run Philadelphia’s version of the wildcat offence. He might take a few snaps at quarterback and line up as a receiver or running back.

McNabb, injured in the season opener at Carolina, missed last Sunday’s 48-22 loss to New Orleans. He didn’t practise this week and it’s likely he’ll be held out against the Chiefs (0-2). Philadelphia has a bye next week, which would allow McNabb extra time to heal.

“He has continued to improve,” Reid said. “He’s done a little more throwing inside. We’ll see how he does up until game day.”

If McNabb doesn’t play, the Eagles might keep three quarterbacks active and have Jeff Garcia be the backup. Kolb made his first NFL start against the Saints, throwing for 391 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

McNabb may be joined on the sideline by running back Brian Westbrook (ankle) and wide receiver Kevin Curtis (knee). Westbrook is questionable and Curtis is doubtful. Rookie LeSean McCoy would take Westbrook’s spot and rookie Jeremy Maclin would start for Curtis.

Reid confirmed the Eagles worked out four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jeremiah Trotter on Thursday. Trotter hasn’t played since 2007 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The 32-year-old Trotter was an outstanding player during two stints with the Eagles, but knee problems curtailed his career.

“I just wanted to see where he was at. I wanted to see him move around a little bit, which I thought he did a good job with,” Reid said. “I haven’t made any decisions on it. I think he felt a little better physically than he did last time when he was here.”

The Eagles also have interest in former starting right tackle Jon Runyan, who remains unsigned after having offseason knee surgery. Runyan worked out for the team two weeks ago.

“I thought Jon did a nice job when he was in,” Reid said. “I want to keep everything open and evaluate.”

The Eagles have been hit hard by injuries early on. They lost starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley (knee), right tackle Shawn Andrews (back) and rookie tight end Cornelius Ingram (knee) for the season. Left guard Todd Herremans (foot) will miss his third straight game, and right guard Stacy Andrews (knee) isn’t ready to start.

Fielder takes RBI lead, Brewers beat Phillies 8-4

Fielder takes RBI lead, Brewers beat Phillies 8-4

Milwaukee Brewers' Prince Fielder hits a three-run
home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game
against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday,
Sept. 25, 2009, in Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE — Prince Fielder hit his 43rd homer and drove in four runs to become the major league leader in RBIs, powering the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.

Fielder hit a run-scoring single in the first and a three-run shot in the fifth to give him 136 RBIs — one more than the Phillies' Ryan Howard, who drove in three runs with two singles.

Mike Cameron also hit a three-run homer off Phillies starter Cliff Lee (7-3), who gave up nine hits in six innings.

After taking Thursday's series opener from the Brewers, the Phillies couldn't make another dent in their magic number of four for clinching the NL East title. Second-place Atlanta won 4-1 at Washington.

Manny Parra (11-10) made his first start since leaving his Sept. 8 outing after one inning because of neck spasms, giving up four hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts.

After the Phillies put their first two runners on in the ninth, Trevor Hoffman came in and retired three straight for his 36th save.

The Phillies remain in good shape to clinch the division, but certainly have a few issues to sort out before they try to defend last year's championship.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said before the game that the team would look at other options for closing games — although he said Brad Lidge, who has a major league-worst 11 blown saves, remains in the mix.

Lidge pitched the seventh against Milwaukee, giving up an RBI single to Casey McGehee.

Also, Pedro Martinez was scratched from Saturday's start because of lingering neck soreness. Right-hander Kyle Kendrick will replace Martinez against the Brewers, and it is not clear when Martinez will pitch again.

Then there's Lee, who was dominant in his first five outings for his new team after he was acquired from Cleveland in July. But Lee now has given up four runs or more in four of his last six starts, including three six-run outings.

Felipe Lopez doubled and scored on Fielder's single in the first. McGehee doubled and Fielder was held up at third. Cameron then drove a 2-2 pitch from Lee deep to left field for his 22nd homer and a 4-0 lead. It was the fifth longball allowed by Lee since the trade.

The Phillies got two runs back in the fourth. Jimmy Rollins reached on an error by third baseman McGehee and Shane Victorino walked to set up Howard's sharp two-run single off first baseman Fielder's glove.

Milwaukee then took a 7-2 lead in the fifth, when Fielder smacked a 2-0 pitch from Lee into the second deck in right field with Ryan Braun and Corey Hart on base.

NOTES: Amaro said LHP J.C. Romero and RHP Brett Myers could be ninth-inning options for the Phillies. The team hopes both will return from injuries next week. ... Howard's two-run single in the fourth originally was ruled an error by Fielder, but the official scorer reversed the decision one inning later.

Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinatown on Saturday

Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinatown on Saturday

by KYW's Hadas Kuznits

Chinatown residents are shutting down 10th Street on Saturday for the annual block party known as the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival has been celebrated for 14 years in Philadelphia. Ellen Somekawa (in photo above) of Asian Americans United says it was initiated in Chinatown by the school aged children of Chinese immigrants:

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Family cemetery visit led to hanged census worker

Family cemetery visit led to hanged census worker

Graves dot a hillside at the Hoskins Cemetery in rural Clay County near Manchester, Ky., Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009. It was near this cemetery census worker Bill Sparkman was found dead earlier this month.

BIG CREEK, Ky. (AP) -- A family's visit to a rural Kentucky cemetery led to the shocking discovery of a part-time census worker's naked body hanging from a tree with the word "fed" written on his chest.

Jerry Weaver of Fairfield, Ohio, told The Associated Press the man had been gagged and his hands and feet were bound with duct tape.

Weaver said Friday he was certain from the gruesome scene that 51-year-old Bill Sparkman was killed deliberately.

"He was murdered," Weaver said. "There's no doubt."

Weaver said he was in rural Clay County, Ky., for a family reunion and was visiting some family graves at the cemetery on Sept. 12 along with his wife and daughter when they saw the body.

"The only thing he had on was a pair of socks," Weaver said. "And they had duct-taped his hands, his wrists. He had duct tape over his eyes, and they gagged him with a red rag or something."

Two people briefed on the investigation said various details of Weaver's account matched the details of the crime scene, though both people said they were not informed who found the body. The two spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.

Authorities have said a preliminary cause of death was asphyxiation, pending a full medical examination. According to a Kentucky State Police statement, the body was hanging from a tree with a rope around the neck, yet it was in contact with the ground.

"And they even had duct tape around his neck," Weaver said. "And they had like his identification tag on his neck. They had it duct-taped to the side of his neck, on the right side, almost on his right shoulder."

Both of the people briefed on the investigation confirmed that Sparkman's Census Bureau ID was found taped to his head and shoulder area. Weaver said he couldn't tell if the tag was a Census ID because he didn't get close enough to read it. He could see writing on Sparkman's chest, but could not read that it said "fed."

Authorities have said the word was scrawled with a felt-tip pen.

Weaver, who works for a family topsoil business in Fairfield, said the body was about 50 yards from a 2003 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck. He said Sparkman's clothes were in the bed of the truck.

"His tailgate was down," Weaver said. "I thought he could have been killed somewhere else and brought there and hanged up for display, or they actually could have killed him right there. It was a bad, bad scene.

"It took me three or four good nights to sleep. My 20-year-old daughter ended up sleeping in the floor in our bedroom," he said.

Sparkman, a Boy Scout leader and substitute teacher, was supplementing his income as a part-time census field worker. Authorities have refused to say if Sparkman was at work going to door-to-door for census surveys before he died.

After Sparkman's body was found, the Census Bureau suspended door-to-door interviews in Clay County until the investigation is complete.

Clay County Sheriff Kevin Johnson declined to comment on the investigation because the department is only playing a supporting role but said patrols have increased in the Daniel Boone National Forest since the body was found.

State Trooper Don Trosper said it was clear this wasn't a natural death but said all other possibilities were being considered.

"We are not able to rule out many scenarios at this time, and that's what makes this a difficult case," he said.

Although anti-government sentiment was one possibility in the death, some in law enforcement also cited the prevalence of drug activity in the area - including meth labs and marijuana fields - although they had no reason to believe there was a link to Sparkman's death.

Pope decries Czech communist-era persecution

Pope decries Czech communist-era persecution

Pope Benedict XVI waves to well wishers after arriving to Prague, Czech Republic, on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. The Pontiff arrived to the Czech Republic for a three day visit.

PRAGUE (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI criticized the communist era's fierce religious persecution Saturday as he began a three-day pilgrimage to the Czech Republic, and urged the heavily secular nation to rediscover its Christian roots.

At a welcome ceremony at Prague's Ruzyne International Airport, the 82-year-old pope spoke of how the communist regime, which was overthrown in 1989, ruthlessly persecuted the Roman Catholic Church.

"I join you and your neighbors in giving thanks for your liberation from these oppressive regimes," Benedict said, hailing the collapse of the Berlin Wall two decades ago this autumn as "a watershed in world history."

"Nevertheless, the cost of 40 years of political repression is not to be underestimated," the pope said. "A particular tragedy for this land was the ruthless attempt by the government of that time to silence the voice of the church."

"Now that religious freedom has been restored, I call upon all the citizens of this republic to rediscover the Christian traditions which have shaped their culture," he added.

Scores of pilgrims poured into Prague for the nation's first papal visit in a dozen years. But most Czechs seemed to shrug the trip off as irrelevant - and some were openly hostile.

"It's just a waste of money," said Kveta Tomasovicova, 56, who works at Prague's National Library. "At a time of economic crisis, when our salaries are going down, the visit is a useless investment."

Even the Vatican acknowledges the 13th foreign trip of Benedict's papacy casts the pope as an apostle among the apostate.

Secularism is so ingrained in the modern Czech Republic that "the practice of religion is reduced to a minority," said the pope's spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi.

Even so, Czech organizers of the pope's visit expect 100,000 faithful to pack an airfield for Sunday's outdoor Mass in Brno - the highlight of the visit. Some were expected to make the trek from neighboring Austria and Poland.

Under communism, which ended with the 1989 Velvet Revolution that drew hundreds of thousands of Czechs to mostly nonviolent street protests, the church was brutally repressed.

The regime, which seized power in 1948 in what was then Czechoslovakia, confiscated all church-owned property and persecuted many priests. Churches were then allowed to function only under the state's control and supervision.

An enduring symbol of that struggle is the 14th-century St. Vitus Cathedral, the iconic Gothic centerpiece of Prague's medieval Hradcany Castle. Two decades after the collapse of communism, the church is still fighting to recover it from the government.

That bitter restitution battle has left a sour taste in the mouths of many Czechs. And some - claiming the church cares more about property than souls - have drifted away from the faith.

In 1991, 4.5 million of the country's 10 million people said they belonged to a church. In 2001, a census showed that number had plunged to 3.3 million.

Recent surveys suggest the freewheeling drop continues. About one in two respondents to a poll conducted by the agency STEM said they don't believe in God. Another 28 percent said they considered themselves believers, and 24 percent were undecided. The poll had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Moreover, the Czech Republic is one of the few nations in the world that has not ratified a standard treaty with the Vatican that spells out church-state relations.

"Czechs are getting less religious every year," said Klara Kucerova, a resident of the southern city of Brno, where the pope will celebrate an open-air Mass on Sunday.

"They are more interested in horoscopes or other kinds of magical predictions," she said.

Underscoring the hostility toward the church, a group calling itself Condom Positive planned to distribute condoms bearing a likeness of the pope wearing one on his head and the words: "Papa said no! And you?"

Another group, Condoms for the Pope, said it would inflate prophylactics to condemn Benedict's assertion earlier this year that condoms are not the answer to Africa's severe AIDS problem.

The pope's position "clearly shows us that he is more interested in preserving dogma than saving the lives of African women, men and children," it said in a statement.

At a stop Saturday at Prague's Church of Our Lady of Victory, home to a revered statuette of the infant Jesus, the pope condemned violence and neglect against children.

"May children always be accorded the respect and attention that are due to them: They are the future and the hope of humanity!" he said.

The pope was to meet later with President Vaclav Klaus and other current and former leaders, including Vaclav Havel, the playwright-turned-president who led the 1989 anti-communist uprising.

After Sunday's Mass in Brno, the pope returns to Prague to meet with local leaders of other religious faiths and with scholars at Prague's castle.

On Monday, Benedict visits the basilica of St. Wenceslas - the nation's patron saint - in the town of Stara Boleslav, a popular pilgrimage site just northeast of the capital. He then lunches with Czech bishops in Prague before returning to Rome.

25-Year Growth Plan Unveiled for Delaware Valley Region

25-Year Growth Plan Unveiled for Delaware Valley Region

by KYW's David Madden

Local governments in the Philadelphia region have committed to a 25-year growth blueprint developed by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.

Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter (above) led the line of officials signing on for “Connections - The Regional Plan for a Sustainable Future,” which calls for preserving open space while making better use of available land, creating better communities where people can live and work, and improve energy efficiency and mass transit.

(Nutter:) "For most of us, you don’t stay in these positions forever. But the plans should pretty much stay in place. And they cannot change at the whim of whomever comes along next."

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

World War II Vets Hold Reunion in Phila. This Weekend

World War II Vets Hold Reunion in Phila. This Weekend

(L-R: Paul Proulx; Mary Quinn, daughter of a deceased member; Dan McCarthy)

by KYW's Hadas Kuznits

A group of World War II veterans is having a reunion in Philadelphia this weekend.

Dan McCarthy is a member of the 437th Troop Carrier Association:

"Everybody's heard of the 101st and the 82nd Airborne, and we were the group that flew the airplanes that brought them to the drop zones. Normandy was probably the principal one, and we did four other invasions during World War II."

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Local University Encourages Pedal Powered Transportation

Local University Encourages Pedal Powered Transportation

by KYW's Kim Glovas

With the city of Philadelphia encouraging commuters to bike to work, and more racks appearing across town, the bike fever is spreading.

Temple University is encouraging the campus community to hop on a bike, get healthy and promote sustainability at the same time. Glenn Eck is assistant superintendent of grounds, but he's also a member of a movement called "Bike Temple."

"We had an explosion of bicycle culture and people bicycling to campus which we wanted to accommodate and continue to promote."

He says response so far has been good:

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'Autism Speaks' Walk, Fundraiser is Saturday in S. Phila.

'Autism Speaks' Walk, Fundraiser is Saturday in S. Phila.

by KYW's Brad Segall

Thousands of people are expected at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday morning to help raise money for Autism Speaks, the nation’s leading Autism advocacy organization.

Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the country affecting millions of kids and it’s more prevalent in boys. The annual walk is designed to raise money to help raise awareness and find a cure.

Mina Dever of Philadelphia has three children, two boys and a girl, and both boys have Autism. She got involved with the walk after her oldest son, now seven, was diagnosed just before he turned three:

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

2009 Philadelphia AIDS Walk Set for October 19th

2009 Philadelphia AIDS Walk Set for October 19th

by KYW's Karin Phillips

AIDS walk organizers kicked off their season on Friday with an eye-catching event in Rittenhouse Square.

Life silhouettes lined the entrance to the park at 18th and Walnut Streets. Each contained a fact that AIDS Walk organizers would like people to pass on to others -- facts such as, "Every 9½ minutes someone gets infected with HIV."

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Hundreds March on Broad St. Against Planned Pa. Arts Tax

Hundreds March on Broad St. Against Planned Pa. Arts Tax

by KYW's John McDevitt

A couple of hundred people turned out on Friday for a lunchtime rally and march along South Broad Street ("Avenue of the Arts") in center city Philadelphia, protesting the Pennsylvania state budget plan for an eight-percent sales tax on tickets to certain arts and entertainment venues such as museums, live stage shows, and zoos.

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Area Sees Plenty of Flu Vaccine, Plenty of Demand for Shots

Area Sees Plenty of Flu Vaccine, Plenty of Demand for Shots

by KYW's Lynne Adkins

It appears the most popular place in town these days is the one giving flu shots.

Pharmacists and technicians have been swamped with people rolling up their sleeves, waiting for an annual flu shot.

Jim Cohn is a spokesman for the drug store chain Walgreens:

"We started doing seasonal flu shots on September 1st this year. In the first two weeks we did more than one million shots. All of last season, starting October 1st and going through the end of February, we did 1.2 million. So in just the first two weeks of this year we eclipsed what we did all last year."

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Tiger takes the lead at Tour Championship

Tiger takes the lead at Tour Championship

Tiger Woods hits his approach shot to the fourth hole during the second round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta on Friday, Sept. 25, 2009.

ATLANTA (AP) -- Tiger Woods had the lead and was ready to turn the Tour Championship into a runaway Friday.

First came a 5-wood up the hill on the par-5 15th that narrowly cleared the bunker, hopped onto the green and rolled toward the flag until it stopped just over 4 feet away. On the next hole, Woods started walking before his shot began its descent to inside 4 feet.

There were so many fans around the 16th green that it was hard to read the video board showing Woods' PGA Tour ranking on putts between 4 and 5 feet. No one would have been surprised to see that Woods had only missed seven from that length all year.

This time, he missed them both.

Woods still wound up in the lead Friday at East Lake with a 2-under 68, one shot ahead of Padraig Harrington and Sean O'Hair. Woods might have an even stronger grip on the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus.

He was fuming over the missed putts. He found perspective shortly after signing for his seventh consecutive round in the 60s.

"The day as a whole was a good day," Woods said. "I shot under par, and I got myself ... in the lead."

It couldn't have been that bad, not when all the attention was on two holes where he made a birdie and a par.

"Obviously, I didn't expect him to miss two in a row," Harrington said after a 69. "I looked up at the stats on the board just before he hit it, and he's No. 1 from that range. I don't think he misses two in a row all year. That's probably for sure he hasn't missed two in a row on the year. So it was a surprise."

Not so surprising was Woods in the lead, his 16th time this year to end a round atop the leaderboard. He was at 5-under 135 and in great position for the FedEx Cup. None of the other top five seeds, who can win the $10 million bonus with a victory at East Lake, were among the top 10 on the leaderboard going into the weekend.

Even so, Woods could have made it easier on himself.

One moment, it looked as though Woods was about to double the size of his lead to four shots. Three holes and 30 minutes later, everything pointed Harrington tying for the lead.

When it was over, the possibilities were plenty.

Ernie Els came to life with five birdies over his last 10 holes for a 66 and was only two shots behind at 3-under 137. Kenny Perry, who nearly wilted in the heat Thursday, also had a 66 and was at 2-under 138, along with Jerry Kelly (67).

Masters change Angel Cabrera (67), U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover (71) and British Open champion Stewart Cink (72) were in the group at 1-under 139.

The FedEx Cup is still a possibility for the likes of Harrington and O'Hair, both of whom are more concerned now with the crystal trophy and mere $1.35 million from winning the Tour Championship.

"If I win this golf tournament and Tiger finishes second ... I'm going to be throwing a big party and jumping with joy," O'Hair said. "If I don't win the 10 million bucks, I should have played better. A win is a win. Let's face it, I've got to win this golf tournament to win the $10 million. If I do my job, that's all I can do."

It all starts with Woods, who appears to be on his game.

Three straight birdies to close out the front nine put Woods atop the leaderboard, and he really put on a show over the final hour before fans that crammed behind the ropes on both sides of the fairway.

He turned a sure bogey into an amazing par on the 13th. From a suspect lie in the bunker, 190 yards up the hill toward the green, his shot came perfectly and landed just over the back, although it sank to the bottom of the Bermuda rough and he could only chip to 20 feet. Woods saved par with a putt that curled in the right side on the final turn.

Then came the eagle chance on the 15th and the birdie chance at the 16th, both misses. Woods made a tough par on the 17th with a downhill putt from 8 feet, then closed out his unpredictable back nine with a bogey on the par-3 18th. He had to hit a flop shot from left of the green and came up a yard short, the ball staying in the rough.

"Today's round probably could have been one or two better, for sure," Woods said. "But overall, I'm very pleased with my scoring the first two days."

Harrington missed his share of putts - from 6 feet on the 14th leading to bogey, and a 5-foot birdie chance he missed on the 17th. He was pleased to still be in the hunt for the Tour Championship, even as the FedEx Cup looks out of reach.

"I'm in good position as regards to the tournament, probably not the best position as regards to the FedEx Cup," Harrington said. "It's a little bit out of my control. But I'm looking forward to the weekend. I left a few shots out there toward the end, but overall, I knew there was another 36 holes to play. And I've got to make things happen at some stage."

Woods and Harrington will be paired Saturday for the ninth time this year, five of those over the last two months. Harrington enjoys the company, even though Woods has gotten the best of him.

"You know you're going to be in contention, and you know you're going to have a chance of winning the tournament the more you play with Tiger," Harrington said.

'Michael Jackson Tapes' details star's obsessions

'Michael Jackson Tapes' details star's obsessions

FILE - In this March 25, 2001 file photograph, pop icon Michael Jackson, center, and Rabbi Schmuley Boteach, pose with a child and an unidentified man at the Loew's Metroplex theatre in Newark, N.J., at the kickoff of Jackson's" Heal The Kids" program designed to promote quality time between parents and children. A new book, "The Michael Jackson Tapes," by Boteach, Michael Jackson's former spiritual adviser says the pop superstar feared the ravages of old age and appeared to be abusing prescription drugs and cosmetic surgery nearly a decade before his death.

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. (AP) -- Pop superstar Michael Jackson feared the ravages of old age, sought the company of sycophants and appeared to be abusing prescription drugs and cosmetic surgery nearly a decade before his death, according to a new book by a former adviser.

"The Michael Jackson Tapes" breaks little in the way of new ground but the book by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, based on 30 hours of taped interviews, provides firsthand detail about the performer's excesses and obsessions.

"I don't want to be seen now," Jackson confessed. "Because I am like a lizard. It is horrible."

Jackson died June 25 at age 50. His death is being treated as a homicide.

The self-described "King of Pop" seemed to sense during the interviews in 2000 and 2001 that his life was winding down.

"I would like some way to disappear where people don't see me anymore at some point," Jackson said. "I don't want to grow old. I never want to look in the mirror and see that."

"He lost the will to live," Boteach said Friday on NBC's "Today" show. "I think he was just going through the motions of life toward the end."

Boteach is an orthodox Jewish rabbi who has written self-help books with names like "Kosher Sex" and "Shalom in the Home." He was introduced to Jackson in 1999 through Uri Geller, a British entertainer, and acted as his confidant for many years. At times, the transcribed tapes sound like counseling sessions.

Boteach said he and Jackson recorded the tapes with the idea of giving the public a more accurate image of the reclusive entertainer. Boteach said he soured on the book - originally slated for release in 2003 - after Jackson failed to adhere to the recovery programs they had worked out for his public image and private self. Those improvements included waking up at a decent hour and not being alone with children other than Jackson's own three kids.

The friendship ended with Jackson's second arrest on charges of sexually abusing a child. Boteach said he resurrected the project after Jackson died because attitudes toward him had softened.

In conversations, Jackson is quick to see himself as a victim and quick to criticize relatives - especially his father, who, Jackson said, beat him with an electric cord.

"He was rough," Jackson says of his father. "The way he would beat you hard, you know, was hard."

Ken Sunshine, a spokesman for the Jackson family, said Friday: "We will not dignify this with a comment."

The book makes it clear Jackson was interested in women sexually but very shy. He tells Boteach he had never asked a woman out on a date, although he acknowledged having sexually charged phone conversations with Madonna.

In recounting one conversation, he said: "Madonna laid down the law to me before we went out," saying, "'I am not going to Disneyland, okay? That's out.'"

Jackson said Madonna was jealous of him because his female fans screamed and swooned while her male fans were less demonstrative. He recalled her crying in admiration at one of his concerts.

When contacted Friday, Madonna's spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, said, "Madonna has very fond feelings for Michael Jackson, and I don't think anything in the book is going to change that."

Biden swears in Kirk, successor to Sen. Kennedy

Biden swears in Kirk, successor to Sen. Kennedy

Vice President Joe Biden, right, administers the Senate oath to Sen. Paul G. Kirk Jr., D-Mass., left, as Gail Kirk, center, looks on during Kirk's mock swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Sept. 25, 2009.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Democratic Party chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr. stepped in Friday as the temporary replacement in the Senate for his longtime friend, the late Edward Kennedy.

Kirk said taking over the Massachusetts seat left him with mixed emotions, particularly because he was still feeling the "profound absence" of his old pal.

"It's exhilarating and sobering at the same time," Kirk said.

Democrats applauded his arrival. Kirk's swearing in by Vice President Joe Biden gave Senate Democrats a filibuster-resistant, 60-vote majority with the health care fight at a critical juncture. Contentious battles also lay ahead on climate change and financial regulation.

The swearing in came just a few hours after a Massachusetts judge rejected a Republican request to delay it.

The state GOP had argued that Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick exceeded his constitutional authority by appointing Kirk before a traditional 90-day legislative waiting period had expired. State lawmakers passed a bill this week giving Patrick the power to choose an interim senator.

Kirk said he did not spend much time worrying about the GOP's legal challenge.

"We're prepared to go to work," he said.

The Boston attorney, 71, will serve in the interim post until Massachusetts voters pick a replacement in a Jan. 19 special election.

"It's the highest honor in my life, accepted in humility," said Kirk, who became the sixth appointed senator this session.

He has pledged not to be a candidate in the special election.

Kirk, a fixture in national Democratic circles for decades, was on Kennedy's senatorial staff for eight years and served as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

He is a veteran Washington insider, who has ties to many of the capital's most powerful figures in politics and government.

Kirk was one of Kennedy's most trusted aides, a point underscored when Kennedy made Kirk executor of his will. Kirk was master of ceremonies for a memorial service the evening before Kennedy's funeral.

Kennedy's widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, his daughter, Kara Kennedy Allen, and his sons, Edward Kennedy Jr. and Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., were on hand for the swearing in.

Before the ceremony, Kirk visited the graves of Kennedy and his two slain brothers, President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert Kennedy, at Arlington National Cemetery.

Kirk also met with Kennedy staffers, who broke into applause as he arrived at their office. He has asked Kennedy's staff to remain onboard.

Kennedy died Aug. 25 after a yearlong battle with brain cancer.

Obama: G20 brought economy back from brink

Obama: G20 brought economy back from brink

President Barack Obama answers questions during a press briefing at the conclusion of the G-20 summit, Friday, Sept. 25, 2009 in Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- World leaders on Friday issued sweeping promises to fix a malfunctioning global economic system in hopes of heading off future financial meltdowns. President Barack Obama said actions taken so far "brought the global economy back from the brink."

"We leave here today confident and united," Obama said at the conclusion of a two-day gathering of the world's 20 top economies to deal with the worst financial crisis since the 1930s.

The leaders agreed to keep stimulus plans, which include government spending and low interest rates, generally in place in their respective countries for now to avoid derailing still-fragile recoveries. Obama had pressed for just such a course and praised the decision.

"Our coordinated stimulus plans played an indispensable role in averting catastrophe. Now we must make sure that when growth returns, jobs do, too," he said at a wrap-up news conference. "That's why we will continue our stimulus efforts until our people are back to work and phase them out when our recovery is strong."

In a statement, all the G-20 leaders declared major progress from what they called their coordinated efforts and "forceful response."

"It worked," they said.

Although many of the pronouncements and actions taken by the leaders lacked specifics or details on follow-through, leaders were bold in pronouncing the gathering - the third G-20 summit in a year - as a big success.

"There was unanimity around the table that the errors of the past won't happen again," said French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

"The old system of international economic cooperation is over. The new system, as of today, has begun," said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, referring to a decision to enhance the status for the Group of 20 to make it the lead group for dealing with future international economic issues, eclipsing the older, Western-dominated Group of Eight.

"I have the impression that we are on a successful path," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, before leaving Pittsburgh to fly back to Berlin, where she faces German voters on Sunday.

They moved to require members to subject their economic policies to the scrutiny of a peer review process that would determine whether they were "collectively consistent" with sustainable global growth. They promised tighter and more coordinated financial regulation.

And, repeating pledges from G-20 summits in November and April, when financial panic was rampant, they vowed anew to "reject protectionism in all its forms." They also went along with Obama's push for a pledge to withdraw government subsidies from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas linked to global warming.

While issuing lofty vows, the leaders failed to define how to accomplish many of them and were quickly back to bickering over details.

They did not suggest, for instance, how the peer review process would be enforced. And they failed to mention that previous pledges to avoid protectionism had been ignored by nearly all 20 members.

Disagreements over whether China should gain voting strength in the International Monetary Fund at the expense of European nations and over global warming language marred the summit.

Obama talked about actions of the G-20 as creating or saving "millions of jobs." Yet the U.S. economy alone has lost 3.1 million jobs since January when Obama took office. Since the recession started in December, 2007, some 6.9 million jobs have disappeared.

The group agreed to support changes in the makeup of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

The final statement said voting powers in the IMF "should reflect the relative weights of its members in the world economy, which have changed substantially in view of the strong growth in dynamic emerging market and developing countries."

Now, developed industrialized nations wield about 57 percent of the voting rights in the IMF to about 43 percent for developing nations. The G-20 leaders called for shifting shares from developed powers to emerging ones by at least 5 percentage points. They called for a similar shift at the World Bank. European countries, particularly France and Britain, have been resisting such changes.

Said Obama: "We brought the global economy back from the brink. We laid the groundwork today for long term prosperity."

"Pittsburgh was a perfect venue for this work," Obama said of the one-time despairing Rust Belt city. "This community has known its share of hard times. It picked itself up and dusted itself off. It serves as a model for turning the page to a 21st century."

Obama brushed off demonstrations in the city. He said they were mild compared with some in the past at international gatherings.

"I fundamentally disagree with their view that the free market is the source of all ills," he said. "Many of the protests are just directed generically at capitalism. ... One of the great things about the United States is you can speak your mind."

Obama said that tough new financial regulations backed by the G-20 summit would help avoid another economic crisis.

He also said that G-20 leaders would spare no effort to reach a global warming agreement at an international gathering later this year in Copenhagen. Summit leaders agreed to Obama's call to reduce government subsidies for fossil fuels. He said if fully implemented, the move would phase out $300 billion in global subsidies.

"All nations have a responsibility to face this challenge," he said.

Obama circulated among the leaders before the talks began, speaking to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Said Hu: "The foundation of an economic rebound is not yet solid, with many uncertainties remaining. A full economic recovery will take a slow and tortuous process."

In an apparent reference to a recent trade spat in which the United States imposed punitive tariffs on Chinese tire imports, Hu called on the leaders to "resolutely oppose and reject protectionism in all forms."

Leaders papered over differences on the executive bonus issue by avoiding language for specific caps, something that France had pushed for but that the United States had opposed. A U.S. push for stronger requirements for bank capital - the cushion that banks hold against loan losses - was included, but with many of the specifics over how the capital would be determined left to set at later meetings.

The leaders also agreed to a U.S. proposal for a "framework for strong, sustainable and balanced growth" to deal with such issues as China's huge trade surpluses and the soaring U.S. budget deficit.

The streets of Pittsburgh were generally calm. A few thousand demonstrators pledging nonviolence banged drums, danced and held signs advocating assorted causes.

Prosecutor: Terror plot focus was 9/11 anniversary

Prosecutor: Terror plot focus was 9/11 anniversary

File - Terrorism suspect Najibullah Zazi arrives at the offices of the FBI in Denver for questioning in this Sept. 17, 2009 file photo. Zazi plotted for more than a year to detonate homemade bombs in the United States, an indictment charged Thursday Sept. 24, 2009.

DENVER (AP) -- An Afghan immigrant was on the verge of unleashing a terrorist attack on New York City on the Sept. 11 anniversary but was scared off after drawing suspicion from police, prosecutors said Friday as they provided new details about how far along the plot was.

Najibullah Zazi, 24, was stopped by police on Sept. 10 as he entered the city, and he dropped his plans for an attack once he realized that law enforcement was onto him.

Zazi was sent to New York on Friday by federal marshals to face charges of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in a plot law enforcement has said was focused on blowing up commuter trains.

"The evidence suggests a chilling, disturbing sequence of events showing the defendant was intent on making a bomb and being in New York on 9/11, for purposes of perhaps using such items," federal prosecutor Tim Neff told a judge in arguing for Zazi's transfer to New York.

Prosecutors said Zazi received explosives training from al-Qaida in Pakistan and returned to the U.S. bent on building a bomb.

Over the summer, he and three associates went from one beauty-supply store to another in a Denver suburb buying chemicals to make explosives like those that killed dozens of people in transit bombings in London and Madrid, investigators said.

At least three and possibly more of his accomplices remain at large, and investigators have been fanning out across New York in pursuit of suspects. Authorities have also issued a flurry of terrorism warnings for sports complexes, hotels and transit systems.

A law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation said associates of Zazi visited Colorado to help him buy the chemicals using stolen credit cards before returning to New York.

Another law enforcement official said that authorities had been especially worried about Zazi's Sept. 10 visit to the city because it coincided with a visit by President Barack Obama. Police considered arresting him right away. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation continues.

Police have been especially active in the neighborhood in Queens where Zazi visited during his New York trip, staying at an apartment with a group of cab drivers and food cart operators he knows.

Zazi ran a coffee cart in Manhattan before moving to Denver this year and getting a job as an airport shuttle driver.

FBI raids beginning Sept. 14 rattled a quiet, predominantly Asian neighborhood in Queens. Muslim men said dozens of FBI agents ransacked their homes and questioned them for hours, sometimes taking DNA samples and prints from their shoes.

Because of frequent visits by police, fewer people have been attending regular services at the Masjid Hazrat Abu Bakr mosque. Zazi had returned there to pray during his brief return trip to the city earlier this month.

The FBI has also been visiting beauty shops and home-improvement stores in Colorado and New York for details about the alleged bomb-making purchases.

Court papers say that during the summer, Zazi and three unidentified associates bought "unusually large quantities" of hydrogen peroxide and acetone - a flammable solvent found in nail-polish remover - from Denver-area beauty supply stores. The products had names such as Ion Sensitive Scalp Developer and Ms. K Liquid 40 Volume.

Zazi also searched the Web site of a Queens home-improvement store for another ingredient needed to make a compound called TATP (triacetone triperoxide), the explosives used by shoe bomber Richard Reid and the terrorists who carried out the London bombings that killed more than 50 people, according to court papers.

Zazi intensified his bomb-making experiments this month, cooking up substances in a Colorado hotel suite he rented on Sept. 6-7 before driving 1,600 miles to New York over the course of about two days. He became aware that law enforcement was onto him when he was stopped entering the city on Sept. 10, causing the plot to unravel.

Neff said Zazi "was in the throes of making a bomb and attempting to perfect his formulation."

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority - which runs New York City's subway system, buses and commuter rails - declined to comment on the revelation of a Sept. 11-timed plot. It reissued a statement from earlier in the week that it has boosted its police presence at "key commuter rail locations" since the terror threat became public.

The plot has also cast the spotlight on the everyday chemicals that are used in hair salons around the country but also can have a more sinister purpose.

Federal agents and police officers in New York visited up to 200 locations a day in the area during the probe, including beauty-supply stores, extended-stay hotels that have rooms with kitchens, hardware stores, truck rental agencies and storage facilities.

Zazi sat expressionless during the Denver court hearing, staring at a decanter on the defense table. He has denied being a terrorist since he was arrested last week.

Zazi "still maintains that he was not part of a terrorist cell," defense attorney Arthur Folsom told The Associated Press on Friday. Folsom also insisted that federal agents who searched Zazi's car and apartment found no trace of explosives.

Ken Deal, chief deputy marshal in Denver, said Zazi was put on a government plane Friday and flown out of southern Denver's Centennial Airport. He was scheduled to appear in federal court Tuesday in Brooklyn on charges that carry a life sentence.

A government request to deny bail laid out a chronology of the alleged scheme, which prosecutors said had been in the works for more than a year.

Security video and receipts show that some of the purchases were made near the Colorado hotel, according to court papers. On Sept. 6 and 7, Zazi checked into a suite at the hotel with a kitchen and a stove, the papers say, and tried to contact an unidentified associate "seeking to correct mixtures of ingredients to make explosives."

"Zazi repeatedly emphasized in the communications that he needed the answers right away," the papers said, adding that each communication was "more urgent than the last."

Beauty supply store employees in New York and the Denver suburbs said authorities had been asking whether anyone had come in buying a lot of hydrogen peroxide or acetone.

At Beauty Supply Warehouse in suburban Denver, Paul Phillips said a co-worker told investigators he had sold chemicals to Zazi. Company President Karan Hoss said the firm turned over security video of a man matching Zazi's description to the FBI. A check of sales found that someone bought a dozen 32-ounce bottles of a hydrogen peroxide product in July. More was purchased in late August, Hoss said.