New Orleans marks Katrina anniversary by Delia Cruceru

Two years ago, New Orleans was devastated by the powerful Category 3 Hurricane Katrina. Now, sadness and anger marks the second Katrina Anniversary. "Hurricane Katrina broke through the levees, it broke a lot of hearts, it destroyed buildings but it did not affect the spirit of a lot of citizens in this community," said Bush in a speech during his trip to New Orleans, La. Many people from New Orleans are sad and angry on the authorities, they say they weren't helped to build their home or to be relocated. Gina Martin, who is still living in Houston after Katrina destroyed her New Orleans home said: "Bush was down here again making more promises he isn't going to keep. The government has failed all of us. It's got to stop." Every soul from the region, kept a moment of silence, cried or prayed, on groundbreaking for a planned Katrina memorial at a New Orleans cemetery bells ranged. "We ring the bells for a city that is in recovery, that is struggling, that is performing miracles on a daily basis," New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said. In that morning of August 29 the waters broke in the town and flooded almost 80% of the city. By the time water dried up weeks later, it left behind almost 1600 dead people, thousands of people displaced, wrecked homes, mud and debris.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070829/ap_on_re_us/katrina_anniversary;_ylt=Al4h9Aw9uGe15BTXmz59_uSs0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Poverty rates are down for the first time in seven years by Corina Ciubotaru

For the first time since George W. Bush became elected president of the United States in 2000, poverty rates are down. This is somewhat surprising, considering the financial slump the country has been in since the housing crisis started and the fall in the number of people who benefit from health insurance. Even though it's one of the richest countries in the world, America's presidential candidates have made eradicating poverty one of their most important campaign points, in an attempt to reach the hearts of the ones most affected by the problem: single mothers and African-Americans. The poverty rate has reached 12.3% in 2006 and this takes into account people that live out of less than $20,444 a year, for a family of 4. These families are able to enjoy a pretty good lifestyle though, as they have VCRs, two colored televisions, a car, a washing machine, a dryer etc., and if we're talking about families of immigrants, their poor life in the United States is much better than in their home country. Americans not holding insurance now represent 15.8%, but they are not all poor, as everyone might expect. Most of them make over $75,000 a year, and the number of uninsured people keeps rising apparently, after a level of 15.3 in 2005. The state with the highest median household income and the lowest poverty rate was Maryland, and the state with the smallest household income and the highest poverty rate was Mississippi. The median household income was $48,200.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070828/ap_on_bi_ge/poverty;_ylt=AslwDGWleq8f3sSvRWm6nBWs0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Crews working to get camera inside mine by Delia Cruceru

In an effort to reach the trapped miners from the Utah collapsed mine, rescuers are now trying to lower a robotic camera and drill a new hole into the coal mine. They hope that the hole would break into the coal mine's so-called kitchen, a designated safety area 1,800 feet underground where the miners could have sought protection after the Aug. 6 cave-in. On the sixth hole, with just 10 feet to go to reach the targeted area, the robotic camera used to probe into the mountain where six Utah miners are trapped became stuck. The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration district manager, Jack Kuzar, reported after giving a briefing to the miners' families in Huntington, Utah: "After it could not move forward any longer, a search crew had to pull the camera out of its hole." Now they have putted their hope on the seventh hole hoping to discover the trapped miners. "I think they had quite a bit of hope that something would come out of this," said a spokesman for a number of the miners' families, Sonny Olsen. "They're a little bit disappointed, but they understand it's difficult work." The rescue team said that the mountain is very instable and that makes the rescue mission risky for underground digging or to drill a hole wide enough to send a manned rescue capsule into the mine.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070828/ap_on_re_us/utah_mine_collapse;_ylt=ApNeQSfvppdbyUAa1mql4Jes0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Gonzales departure won't end probes by Delia Cruceru

Alberto Gonzales presented his resignation to the President George Bush Monday. The former Attorney General was the first Hispanic to be helm the Justice Department. Gonzales declared: "Even my worst days as attorney general have been better than my father's best days." President Bush reluctantly accepted Gonzales' resignation, whose "good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons," enduring "unfair treatment that has created harmful distraction at the Justice Department." George Bush named the solicitor general, Paul Clement as a temporary replacement until a nominee will be confirmed by the Senate. The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday that Gonzales was never fitted for the job, lacking independence, judgment and the spine to say no to Karl Rove. "This resignation is not the end of the story," Reid warned. "Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House." Alberto Gonzales, son of immigrants, studied the law school at Harvard, becoming a very close friend with the President Bush signing with him in the mid 1990s and after that he became general counsel and secretary of state when George Bush was governor of Texas, after that winning an appointment to the state Supreme Court.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070827/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/gonzales_resigns;_ylt=Aox1GSbPug.1h4ozdJ6w_e2s0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Search to Go on for Trapped Utah Miners by Delia Cruceru

Officials decided Sunday that the search for the six miners trapped in the Utah collapsed coal mine will continue, although there was no sign of life from them. Robert Murray, the mine's co-owner said that after drilling the six bore hole they would close the mine, but an attorney for families of the trapped Utah miners says the search will continue. The miners from the Crandall Canyon mine were last heard on August 6 before a thunderous shudder inside the mountain cracked the ribs of the mine and filled passageways with debris, cutting off an exit route. Jack Cuzar of the Mine Safety and Health Administration declared: "We found the technology out of Canada. They built a robot, the only one of its kind, that's going to be used in this mine. It's a long shot and I repeat - it's along shot - but we owe it to the families." The federal officials plan to use a camera similar to one used for searching trough the wreckage of the World Trade Center in New York City after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The camera will take images in the darkened cavern from about 50 feet away with the help of a 200-watt light and then it would travel 1,000 feet from the end of the test hole. "We're very excited about it. The families are thrilled to hear this," said Colin King, a lawyer for the miners' families.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070826/ap_on_re_us/utah_mine_collapse;_ylt=ApBYCDdCk21quXNv97OW3Sqs0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Erin hit Texas, now the Caribbean expect Dean by Corina Ciubotaru

The storm couple, Erin and Dean, is going about its business in North America and the Caribbean islands, respectively. Erin hit the coast of Texas yesterday morning, northeast of Corpus Christi, and has lost some strength along the way, being downgraded to a tropical depression. Many towns and camping resorts in Texas haven't even issued evacuation orders, leaving people to decide for themselves, while in Houston one person was killed and another injured after a storage unit collapsed. Dean is still in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and is heading for the Lesser Antilles, where it is supposedly going to hit on Friday. Barbados is expecting it within 24 hours, while for the islands of Montserrat, Nevis, St Kitts, St Maarten and St Vincent, a tropical storm watch was issued, meaning the hurricane is due in 36 hours. Residents on these islands might be in luck as the last Dean to hit, in 1989, passed over Sable Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and caused no damage or deaths, even though it reached maximum wind speeds of 169 kilometers per hour. But chances are this year's hurricane may not be as gentle, as it is expected to become a Category 3 hurricane by Saturday and may bring around ten inches of rain in some mountainous areas. The hurricane season in the Atlantic is just beginning and will last until November 30th. It is expected to sweep the U.S. and the Atlantic islands with nine potential hurricanes, of which three to five may become major.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070816/tsc-us-hurricane-erin-dean-e123fef_1.html

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Erin hits Texas, while Dean is closing in on Caribbean islands by Corina Ciubotaru

It's been a very strange year for Texas. It rained like crazy all summer, ending the state's ten-year drought and now Erin is about to hit. Yet another girl-named weather phenomenon formed in the Atlantic on Tuesday and became a tropical storm on Wednesday after it reached the required sustained speed of 40 mph. It hit Copano Bay first then it reached Houston and calmed down a bit, bringing winds of 35 mph and rain that stopped traffic in the middle of the city. It had been too close to land to become a hurricane, luckily. Floods are expected all across Texas, especially in the Hill Country and the Corpus Christi area, which have so far received almost twice the rainfall they're used to. Other hurricanes are on their way, too. Dean became a genuine hurricane out in the Atlantic, with wind speeds of 90 mph and now threatens the Caribbean islands. Because of it, tropical storm warnings have been issued for the following islands: Dominica and St Lucia, Antigua, Barbados, Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Monserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts and St. Maarten. A tropical storm warning means the storm is expected to hit in the next 24 hours. Tropical storm watches mean the storm is coming in 36 hours and they have been issued for Martinique, Guadeloupe and Grenada. Flossie swept through Hawaii, but with less force than expected. The hurricane season will go on until November 30th and may result in as many as 16 tropical storms.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070815/ap_on_re_us/tropical_weather;_ylt=Ahg9XZcO1sM.HfewKHCFBbqs0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Gates discloses holdings in McDonald's by Delia Cruceru

Although Bill Gates earns a lot of money with Microsoft products, he shows interest among other business domains. According to a report filed Tuesday to he Securities and Exchange Commission Bill Gate’s foundation disclosed its share in McDonald's Corp., Crown Castle International Corp. a wireless tower operator and Progressive Corp. third-largest U.S. auto insurer, for the second quarter. The quarter ended in June 30 and now the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust declared that they own 740,000 shares of McDonald's, the largest food chain in the world, 5 million shares of Crown Castle, and 1.5 million shares of Progressive. The billionaire interest is now headed to Eastman Kodak Co. as now Bill Gates owns 2.6 million shares, from 100,000 shares in the first quarter as of March 31. The FedEx shares raised from 985,000 shares in the previous quarter to 1.2 million shares, and the interest for his stake in Time Warner Cable Inc. is lower, he now has 11,076 shares, from 66,806 shares. The radio broadcaster Cox Radio Inc. has the attention of the world's richest men, as he has 100,000 shares in there too. His fortune is now expected to boost again succeeding in having the world’s media attention all the time and being envied by most of the planet’s population.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20070814/tot-uk-gates-holdings-b86c26b_1.html

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Katrina victims could live in luxury apartments if they afford to buy by Corina Ciubotaru

After hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the U.S. authorities took immediate action and passed a bill that created tax deductions for those contributing to the area's recovery and development. Those wanting to build hotels and casinos were excepted from the rule of deductions, but the additional businesses that function around them, such as attached hotels, are still able to benefit from the lowered tax. This measure is very beneficial for all wanting to make money out of this area. Luxury condos have started to appear in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and provide great living conditions for those who are able to pay up to $1 million. But the problem here is that the people in most need of help, who have seen their house wiped off the face of the Earth, can not afford such a hefty price if they live in a caravan. They don't even benefit from this tax reduction, because the rule doesn't apply to those that buy houses or land for personal use. Real estate developers will be able to claim a first-year depreciation deduction equal to 50% of the value invested in the property and they may receive some money for demolition and cleanup, also from the government. Help for a devastated region and its residents has turned into big business for real estate companies. It's not even clear how the boundary of the affected area was set and why it got as far inland as Tuscaloosa, where Katrina's effect was diminished. The worse part is that money for the builds isn't actually put to use entirely: most of the projects that received funding haven't been started yet, after two years from the tragic event.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070813/ap_on_re_us/katrina_luxury_condos;_ylt=Aude1GDHUHc0lMSRAphOzmes0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Divers recovered more human remains from the Interstate 35W bridge by Delia Cruceru

Divers recovered more human remains from the Interstate 35W bridge collapse, after 11 days and now the official death toll is raised to nine. One body was identified by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office as of Richard Chit, 20, of St. Anthony, his mother Vera Peck, 50, of Bloomington, is still missing. A school bus and other 44 vehicles were removed from the ruined bridge on Sunday. In the buss were 52 children and several adults and all escaped alive, the buss became a symbol for what could have been the worse case scenario. A thunderstorm forced the navy divers to quit the researches. "Storms made their task more dangerous over the weekend, strengthening river currents," the Navy spokesman Dave Nagle said. In the accident about one hundred people were injured, only eight of them needed to be hospitalized. The list with persons confirmed as still missing includes: Christine Sacorafas, 45, of White Bear Lake; Greg Jolstad, 45, of Mora; and Scott Sathers, 29, of Maple Grove. A spokesman from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Kevin Gutknecht, said that most vehicles on the bridge's north end were removed and that they will focus on the south side for the next day or two. Until now the car parts from the bridge that fell on the land was cleared by the crews and their equipment is positioned to start major debris removal once the recovery efforts are finished.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070812/ap_on_re_us/bridge_collapse;_ylt=AiHwFfgYSH15lqA0lJBa3qkDW7oF

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Another hole to find Utah minors by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu

The six missing miners were not found yet, although a camera was lowered into a collapsed coal mine. It was revealed the equipment and officials planned to drill yet another hole in a desperate hope of finding signs of life nearly a week after a thunderous cave-in. The camera could only see about 15 feet into the space where they hoped to find the men because of the poor lightning. The camera showed only a tool bag, a chain and other equipment, said Richard Stickler, head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration. He also said they will repeat this but with an improved lighting system which should allow the camera to see 100 feet. The authorities said they were proceeding as if the miners were alive. Stickler said "Our attitude is we always have to have hope, and our position is that we're hoping and we're praying and it would be a terrible mistake to give up hope until you know for sure." Bob Murray, head of Murray Energy Corp., co-owner of the mine, said the new hole will target an area that the miners would have gone if air in their original location was bad. Stickler would not estimate how long it would take to drill the new hole. Murray initially estimated three to four days, but his vice president, Rob Moore, said quietly to him during a news conference that it could be up to six days. Refering to the miners' relatives, Councilwoman Julie Jones said, "They are one family." Mike Marasco, son-in-law of missing miner Kerry Allred, said his family has been sleeping on the floor of the school where families were gathering to somehow try to identify with their father's discomfort inside the mine."It's hard to just sit here. We want to feel what he felt. We've been sleeping on the floor ... it's not even close to being in the mine but it's something." No one knows for sure what caused the collapse, but Murray insisted that an earthquake caused it, although seismologists said there was no earthquake and that readings on seismometers actually came from the collapse.

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Iraq critics concede military progress by Delia Cruceru

Iraq registered a great military progress, even critics of President Bush agree with this. However these changes are not the result of political progress, because of the many differences between the government factions. All Sunni representatives in the government have quit, undermining the legitimacy of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite. In a recent CBS/NYT survey the percentage of Americans that think the U.S. did the right thing in going to war with Iraq increased from 35 percent in May to 42 percent. Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack, both working at Brookings Institution, are critics of Bush involvement in Iraq. But after a recent visit they said "we are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms." "As long as people start to get a sense that what's happening on the battlefield is different and better than what it was, then I feel like we've made our contribution," said O'Hanlon. President Bush at a news conference said: "My own perspective is that they (Iraqis) have made some progress but not enough. I fully recognize this is a difficult assignment." Gen. David Petraeus said that the American military is making progress in Iraq and it achieved "tactical momentum in many areas, especially against al-Qaida Iraq, and to a lesser degree against the militia extremists." But he also said "there are innumerable challenges."

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070809/ap_on_go_pr_wh/iraq_attitudes;_ylt=Ar04qxOAkQ61zxuLgtbVq7RvzwcF

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No word from the six trapped miners yet by Ana Maria Ciobanu

The six trapped miners could be facing all the problems in the world right now. After three days of digging the rescuers haven't found them, and no hammer tapping in the sealing has been heard. It's only a matter of luck if they're alive. The families must be devastated and they have all the reasons to be. The six men are probably in total darkness at the moment because their head lamps must have burned out. They're wearing thin work clothes in 58- degree cold and no one wants to imagine how frozen they might be if water is seeping into their chamber 150 stories below ground. Officials state they still have air left but all the statements are just assumptions and their condition is probably anyone's guess. Rescuers are trying to clear rubble from a horizontal tunnel in an attempt to actually reach the miners and bring them out. Progress is unfortunately very slow at about 300 feet a day and officials say it could take a week or more to break through to the miners. Trapped miners who have survived are helping the rescuers imagine the situation the six men are facing and are describing them several ways of staying alive and several dangers that can occur. What can be more horrible than being trapped and your life depending on others, leaving you helpless and waiting? Let's hope it won't be long now till they reach them because they might still have a good chance of staying alive.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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It"s getting hot by Claudia Sonea

Washington is melting down. Overwhelming temperatures and high humidity made the residents feel like they are a Sunday pie baking. In the morning there was reported a temperature of 31 Celsius degrees, but due to the level of humidity the heat index rose at 37, breaking all records. At Reagan National Airport, near downtown Washington, the record established in 1930 was beaten by a 39 Celsius degrees temperature. Unfortunately the heatwave made victims and a railway worker in Oklahoma (according to chief medical investigator Kevin Rowland he was hospitalized with 42.2 degrees temperature) and an elderly person in Arkansas died. It is extended on an area from the Midwestern plains of Kansas to the Atlantic coast. Also there were power cuts and the city transport slow down, because railway tracks started to bend. The hot weather is about to change according to the National Weather Service, severe thunderstorms with damaging winds are expected in the areas of Washington, Maryland and West Virginia. In Washington five air-conditioned "cooling centers" opened to provide relief for the homeless and the geysers on fire hydrants at city-run housing developments were opened. Rosalind Redmond of the Washington Shelter Hotline said that bottles of water are shared too. Actions took place in order to make sure that there won't be anymore deaths reported. However, the weather cast is nor reliable and people are getting restless. Because residents switched on air conditioners, the problem of the power has entered in the Tennessee Valley Authority attention. The sun is up and shinning, but it's getting too hot to enjoy. Still, drink a lot of water and eat fruits.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070809/tuk-portugal-britain-crime-a7ad41d_2.html

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Waking up Los Angeles by Claudia Sonea

A light earthquake hit Los Angeles and wake up city's residents making them more alert to future phenomenon. According to officials and reporters there were no damages. U.S. Geological Survey states in a preliminary report that the quake had a magnitude of 4.5 on the Moment Magnitude scale and struck at 00:58 am about 4 miles northwest of Chatsworth. It was felt 100 kilometers away. Except some burglar reports and car alarms in Chatsworth, Brian Humphrey, spokesman of the Los Angeles Fire Department, there were no injuries or significant damage. Kate Hutton, a local seismologist, in a statement to Fox 11 television news, said that this type of mild earthquake makes people realize they need to be prepared for the big ones. California is supposed to be hit by a major earthquake because the movements in the nearby San Andreas fault, very close to Los Angeles. It takes place every 150 years and the last time was in 1857. Near Chatsworth, in Northridge, a 6.7 magnitude quake killed around 72 people, injured around 10,000 and made damage worth 12.5 billion dollars, in January 1994. The residents spoke about what happened revealing that before the shakes there was a strong jolt, then were two aftershocks. Some pictures fell of the walls, some items fell of shelves, but mostly there was no harm done. Despite the alarms, no robbery was done and no lives were lost. It does make you think you can not fool around with nature. Wildfires, floods, earthquakes, I wonder will happen next. USA is under weather assault, but hopefully the sun will shine again. Surf on and enjoy!

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070809/tsc-us-quake-e123fef_1.html

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Whites in America will be a minority by 2050 by Corina Ciubotaru

One in ten counties in the United States is now dominated by non-whites. Be it Blacks, Asians or Latinos, people wanting a better life for themselves can be found all across the country, some working legally, some illegally. The U.S. is an immigration state and the idea that people of all races come together somewhere is basically what the country is all about; if you think about it, the whites now threatening immigrants are also children of people than came to America by boat hundreds of years ago, seeking new jobs and properties. It was the land of all opportunities; for some it still is and it's not right to take their dream away like that. Latinos are the biggest minority now and also the fastest growing one. Blacks make up around 40 percent of the total population, and Asians come third in the most numerous minorities list, but they are second in growth rate. California has the largest number of immigrants of all American states and their number has strongly helped the state increase in size in recent years. Houston and Chicago now have loads of immigrants, Blacks and Asians respectively. It seems living legally is the biggest challenge for immigrants and the government now wants to make it even harder by prohibiting their access to the healthcare system and other public services. But what some fail to realize is that these people actually help the economy by doing jobs nobody else wants and some fill up positions abandoned by whites moving away from city centers. We should take a moment and think where would America be without them?

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070809/ap_on_re_us/minority_counties;_ylt=AvJkfH.2IO3rYhDYsr4anwJvzwcF

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Too much rain by Claudia Sonea

Would say the residents of New York who faced a terrible storm that crippled subway systems, highway tunnels and airport runways. There was too much rain and too fast, pumping stations were overwhelmed. The failure brought forward an older debate regarding the network of pumps, sewers and drains that protects the city's subway. Governor Eliot Spitzer told Metropolitan Transit Authority engineers to bring in a report in 30 days with solutions to flooding. MTA Executive Director Elliot G. Sander blamed the pumping system that can handle a maximum of 1.5 inches of rainfall per hour, while this storm was of 3 inch. The most important issue is to find solutions quick, because the current situation only prepares them for the experts' predictions of a major hurricane causing the Hudson and East rivers to overflow. MTA pumps remove 13 million gallons of water from the subway system only from groundwater coming from sources like streams. Changes were made after the shutdown of 1999 and after Hurricane Frances paralyzed tunnels in 2004. Although the city is spending $300 million per year to improve the piping system, according to DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd, the so-called robust storm-water drainage system has not been installed yet. However, residents of Brooklyn were more affected by weather phenomena; a tornado damaged 40 houses, people were injured and a woman died on Staten Island. At the end of the day, besides the fact that they were all wet, the heavy rain left behind a high humidity. No more fooling around with nature. Green power!

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070808/ap_on_re_us/severe_weather;_ylt=AniMjQLfkOVFAomV_b9ByAys0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Hope never dies by Claudia Sonea

Utah miners are trapped in the Crandall Canyon mine, built into steep sandstone cliffs in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. All the progress made in clearing a path inside the blocked mine was canceled by seismic shocks. The hammering on the ceiling that miners are trained to do in an emergency or anything else was not heard from the miners since the day of the collapse. Families can only pray and hope that they are ok. Rescue crews clinging to a mountainside are trying to drill two narrow holes in an effort to bring air and food. Bob Murray, chairman of mine co-owner Murray Energy Corp, stated that progress has been made and until Friday they could break through. The drill was 1500 feet into the earth. 8,000 feet of road was bulldozed across the wilderness in order to bring the heavy equipment. A helicopter was used too. They made a 450 feet hole until Wednesday. Richard Stickler, head of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said that they have to be very precise and the drill rig should be properly aligned. The chances to still be alive are not revealed yet. Maria Buenrostro, the sister of trapped miner Manuel Sanchez, 41, stated that all they want to know is the truth, in order to be prepared for whatever was to come. We can only hang on to hope as a last resort. Let's say a pray and hope the miners are alright. God be with you all.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070808/ap_on_re_us/utah_mine_collapse;_ylt=Apr4729kLqf899gOVCSBYums0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Fixing the border is a nonstop job by Delia Cruceru

In El Paso, Texas, the Border Patrol welding team has to work all the time to fix the holes from a 12-mile border fence made by illegal immigrants from Mexico. Every day it's the same task, they have to fix the fence daily. "It's disheartening," said Eddie Lujan, a Border Patrol agent. "It's frustrating." The U.S. Congress has authorized $1.2 billion for about 700 miles of fencing, including about 330 miles of a so-called virtual fence â€" a network of cameras, high-tech sensors, radar and other technology, the remaining 370 miles from urban areas will have a two layers fence. But agents from the Border Patrol think that nothing is going to stop the immigrants, no matter the vigilance, constantly wandering patrol agents, pole-mounted cameras trained on the border or underground sensors. "If it's made by man, it's going to be tampered and overcome by man," said Salvador Zamora, assistant Border Patrol agent in charge of the El Paso station. Every day Lujan and his team have to patch about 15 to 20 holes a day, and for every cut made in the fence probably three or five people make their way to a road, or a highway, reaching the neighborhoods. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who voted for the expanded fence, said that although a fence might make a difference in the urban areas, building one that requires daily maintenance in the middle of the open desert, "may not be the most efficient or cost-effective way to control illegal immigration."

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070808/ap_on_re_us/mending_fences;_ylt=AnfwYgIguShZqFb2WngLtjys0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Six miners are trapped and rescuers are trying to reach them by Ana Maria Ciobanu

Six miners had been trapped for more than a day in a mine built into a mountain in the rugged Manti-La Sal National Forest, 140 miles south of Salt Lake City. Rescuers bulldozed a mountain path Tuesday to erect a seismic listening device outside the mine trying to establish contact, according to one of the mine's owners. Once the device will be in place, crews will set off dynamite, hoping the men will hear it and tap with the hammers in the ceiling. The miners are trapped at more than 1,500 feet underground. Rescuers say the efforts to get them out will last at least three days and unfortunately they don't even know if the men are still alive. If the operations will go well, after three days, the rescuers will have only a 2-inch hole into the chamber through which they're supposed o communicate with the trapped miners and give them water, food or air. According to Robert E. Murray, chairman of Murray Energy Corp. of Cleveland, 30 pieces of "massive" mining equipment and 134 people are dedicated to the rescuing operations. He also stated that the tragedy happened because of an earthquake and denied that the miners were using a dangerous method called retreat mining. Let's hope the men will survive and will be rescued from the mountain trap in time and live the officials investigate the reasons of this tragedy.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.

Searches continue by Claudia Sonea

The Minneapolis bridge wreckage was a terrible one with about 100 people hurt, eight people declared missing and perhaps there are more in the water. Five of them were confirmed to be dead. Local search crews complained about the fact that they are not prepared to face all the difficulties that the rivers pose. That is why an elite team of Navy divers with an FBI dive crew, doing forensic work and five-member command crew joined the search and rescue mission. Minneapolis Police Capt. Mike cheered the divers and was amazed that they have entered in the water at night, but that made them look way better than SWAT. Both Phil Newsum, executive director of the Association of Diving Contractors International, and Mark Phillips, owner and publisher of PS Diver Monthly, talked about the difficulty of diving in Mississippi because of the pieces of debris and the mud that makes the visibility to be zero. The team also assisted disasters like TWA Flight 800, loss of the space shuttle Columbia, reclamation of historic sunken ship the Monitor, etc. They will use its sonar in order to find objects under water matching human bodies. It will all be like blind people and mostly based on the sense. A moment of silence was held on Tuesday for the disaster's victims. Plans to rebuild the bridge are already on the table, according to state officials. Tim Pawlenty, the Governor, plans a compensation fund for victims; also he said he does not want to hurry in reconstructing the monument, because everything must be under the sign of safety. Light a candle for those lost on the river to find their why and for those that are searching them and let's keep a moment of silence too.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070807/ap_on_re_us/bridge_collapse;_ylt=AlhuL2ZvyUnxA8VxYnRHTrqs0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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35W tragedy will be examined using a computer model by Corina Ciubotaru

After the tragedy on the 35W bridge near Minneapolis last week, authorities are doing their best to find the reasons for the sudden collapse. The 40-year old bridge was built during an age of far less construction standards than we have today and due to its specific structure, the collapse could have been generated by a single small failure in any part of it. It is not the first bridge of its kind to collapse and after it was built in 1967, safety measures on this type of construction increased. Several inspections labeled the bridge "structurally deficient" and it was scheduled to be replaced in 2020, and at the time of the accident, a team of workers from a local construction company were in charge with repairing damaged pieces of the upper surface. We must keep in mind that this was the most used bridge in Minnesota and any construction work on it should have been done with great care. Now, U.S. authorities plan to create computer models to simulate the collapse in an attempt to see which part of the 35W was the most fragile. Next week, the debris will be cleared from the water to allow heavy ships to pass, but only after helicopters will take aerial shots of the site to allow the computer model to be accurately built. Given its importance, this bridge will be rebuilt using state money as agreed by the President, hopefully by the end of next year. The death toll is smaller than anticipated and most of the missing persons have been found.

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6932882.stm

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Where are all the weapons gone? by Claudia Sonea

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated that after all the fuss made over the war in Iraq, USA did not only failed to bring to a viable self-governance, but it also lost track of more than 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols. The Pentagon replied that arms deliveries procedures are to be reviewed. Brigadier General Abd-al-Karim Khalaf, a spokesman, told BBC that there is no evidence that the rebels have stolen the ammunition and his ministry was not consulted over the distribution. Gen David Petraeus, commander of all US forces in Iraq presented records that by comparison with those of the Multi-National Security Transition Command for Iraq and discovered the loss of the arms. US Defence Department admitted that the US-led coalition in Iraq has not succeeded to deliver at least the two-thirds of the equipment promised and Iraq's ambassador to the US revealed his concern that the delays and losses were affecting his army fighting capacity. Gen Petraeus and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker will have to give a full report of Iraq's situation to Congress by mid-September. Meanwhile USA spends billions of dollars on a war that most of the Americans do not support; from 2003 $19.2bn were spent on it ($2.8bn spent on buying and deliver weapons and other equipment). What will happen next? The situation is getting worst every day and while humans lives are endangered, the US is at a loss to explain why there were only 14.5m of the nearly 40m items of equipment provided to Iraq's forces. For more information, stay close.

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6932710.stm

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.

UK Police madness by Claudia Sonea

After failed car bombings in the capital and Glasgow, UK Police is using anti-terrorism laws, despite concerns of the civil rights that might be broken, in order to search everyone that looks suspicious. Nearly 11,000 people were stopped randomly and searched in July and the number of searches in London increased in the weeks after two cars packed with fuel, gas tanks and nails were found in the capital. Commander Rod Jarman of the Metropolitan Police stated that police will continue to do whatever is necessary in order to deter and prevent terrorist activity. Civil rights group Liberty disagree with the commander and reveals that random searches lead only to the loss of valuable police resources and the community relations were severely undermined. Also Toby Harris, the Home Secretary's representative on the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) out of 22,672 stopped in the year to September 2006 only 27 arrests were made. The dissatisfactory result shows how inefficient is the method. Some Muslim leaders are complaining that since the 2005 attacks Muslims were disproportionately searched in comparison with the other residents. The situation doesn't look very good neither from the MPA's perspective, nor from the civilians. Anti-terrorism police dramatically made random searches of members of the public in London and that lead to angry and fed up people that are no longer content of those that are supposed to protect them. A new Big Brother is about to be portrayed as the MPA's image. Today's dilemma is how democratic is their action and how long the people will endure. Stay close the answer is about to come.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20070806/tpl-uk-britain-security-search-47c7853_2.html

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Investigating the collapse of Minnesota's busiest bridge by Ana Maria Ciobanu

Last week the bridge which connected the center of Minneapolis with the University of Minnesota collapsed into the Mississippi River. Dozens of cars fell into the water and at least five persons were killed and fifty are seriously injured. Till now there are no information about why the bridge collapsed but the authorities removed the possibility of a terrorist attack. Technology is now coming to help people recreate the scene of events and find the cause of this dreadful catastrophe. Advanced software will help recreate the disaster and determine the exact piece of bridge that gave way. This is a clear sign if technology evolution because 40 years ago, experts had to put the pieces of a fallen bridge back together to determine what went wrong. Ted Galambos, a professor emeritus of structural engineering at the University of Minnesota declared: "Computers and modeling techniques are just light years from what was available 40 years ago." The dive recovery teams are benefiting from technological help and using underwater video cameras to search under dangerously unstable debris. With all this artificial help, experts have stated that they're going to need 18 months to complete their highly demanding investigation on why Minnesota's busiest bridge collapsed and fell into the river on the first day of August. The bridge was built in 1967; it was 580 meters long and 20 meters high. Over 200.000 vehicles transited the bridge every day. It was last checked in 2006 and the reports didn't detect any structural problems.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.

Nobody could have known about the 35W by Corina Ciubotaru

The bridge collapse in Minnesota last week sparked a massive bridge investigation all over the United States. 1,160 bridges in the state alone are deemed structurally deficient as was the 35W but specialists say there is no reason to worry: this is just a standard term for the state of a certain bridge, and they can be in much worse state before being taken out of public use. In other words, there was no way of knowing the 35W would fall into the river beneath it on Wednesday. Furthermore, it was a non-redundant structure design, meaning that the whole structure would collapse if a single portion failed. While investigations continue and suppositions regarding the reason for this tragedy arise, attention turned to a construction company in charge of consolidating the structure of the bridge. NTSB investigators now wonder if closing half of the lanes had some effects on the weight distribution and the overall resistance of the bridge and are trying to determine the negative impact of the restoration work being done by Progressive Contractors Inc., the company in charge of the job. The bridge was supposed to be replaced in 2020 as it had minor wear and tear problems, similar to other bridges built 40 years ago. Even though three members of the deck truss were carrying higher loads than others, the bridge was considered safe but after this collapse, rules of bridge-building in America will probably be thoroughly evaluated. As the rules changed in the last 40 years due to flaws discovered in 60s bridges, some of them may be changed now to avoid such a catastrophe in the future.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070805/ap_on_re_us/bridge_collapse_contractor;_ylt=AiAwEkoPYYfJR4sQf0WGjcWs0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Campus Security not to be taken lightly by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu

Following the shooting that led to the death of 32, injury of 29 and suicide of the agressor at Virginia Tech University, some colleges have started to take more measures regarding campus safety. Birmingham University in New York, have added some orientation session entirely dedicated to campus safety. Others, such as Delaware Valley College put in place new mass text-message systems to help reach students and parents faster in case of a situation like the Virginia Tech shooting spree or cases such as fire or chemical spill. Although colleges don't intend to scare parents and student, they wish these security measures be taken seriously. And although campus security has always been on the agenda, but this time it is more certain that people are listening. The Austin State College in Texas had the police chief instruct orientation leaders about new security measures, and also to directly answer parent's questions. These orientation sessions are held either at the beginning of the academic year, or during the summer, in which case parents and students are being called upon in scheduled shifts. Other measures of security include improvements in communication - an important element that Virginia Tech seemed to lack - security bells being installed and the encouraging of students to report imediate or potential dangers to authorities and even other students. In many other schools, like Georgia Tech, parents turned out not to be as inquisitiveas expected. At Virginia Tech, Spokesman Chris Clough observed that the level of interest in security matters was not noticeably higher than in other years, but it was certainly a start.

by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Hell on earth by Claudia Sonea

Terrible news from across the oceans, Montana had to deal with one of the natural calamities that reminds of the biblical doom. Last Friday the wildfire started and increased to 8,000 acres, until Sunday it doubled and 200 homes were evacuated. Everyone had to abandon the place that sheltered their dreams, their sorrows, their expectations and their work. Pat Cross, fire information officer, tried to calm down everyone and stated to the press that the wind will keep the blaze from expanding. However, Seeley and Placid Lakes had to face spots of fire sparked by the wind-blown embers from the main blaze. Also because Brian Schweitzer, the Montana Governor, declared state of emergency, I'm inclined to believe that the fire won't be put down very soon. Even the Federal Emergency Management Agency and FEMA got involved in the firefighting process. Moreover, California deals with the same issue, the Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared state of emergency because of the 50 fire engines added on Sunday to the 100 already on the scene. Michigan and southern New Jersey's Wharton State Forest were under fire's assault too and the only good news is that no injuries were reported. Usual for this time of the year, the fire showed us how easily everything we have built on earth could perish. It is like hell on earth, the image of how will all end. For US residents of the areas mentioned above, the fire is their worst enemy and their only hope is that soon the firefighters will put an end to the whole situation. Stay connected, more US news to come.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070805/ap_on_re_us/wildfires;_ylt=Av_oo_fEtm.A2XAH7ugekdqs0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.