Recent Contributions from The Associated Press

Science News from the Associated Press

The Associated Press — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Glacial Remnants in New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Crews excavating the World Trade Center site this summer for the foundations of a new skyscraper have uncovered features carved into the bedrock by glaciers about 20,000 years ago, including a 40-foot-deep pothole.

Exposing the solid rock beneath at the ground zero site in lower Manhattan is critical for supporting what will be Tower 4 of the new World Trade Center, being built by Silverstein Properties.

“You want to make sure you’re not perching something on a ledge,” said Anthony Pontecorvo, a supervising structural engineer at Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers, which is working on the project.

Venus Williams Beats Sister Serena in Wimbledon Championship

The Associated Press — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:23:32 -0400

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — This time, big sister put little sister in her place.

Advantage, Miss Venus Williams.

She defeated Serena 7-5, 6-4 Saturday for her fifth Wimbledon title and second in a row. Venus avenged two previous losses to her younger sibling in the final at the All England Club and reasserted her dominance on her favorite court and favorite grass surface.

Spitzer Resigns in Wake of Prostitution Scandal

The Associated Press — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:19:38 -0400

Updated 8:22 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) — In a startlingly swift fall from grace, Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned Wednesday after getting caught in a call-girl scandal that made a mockery of his straight-arrow image and left him facing the prospect of criminal charges and perhaps disbarment.

"I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work," Spitzer said, his weary-looking wife, Silda, standing at his side, again, as the corruption-fighting politician once known as Mr. Clean answered for his actions for the second time in three days.

Gunman Opens Fire in Lecture Hall at Northern Illinois University

The Associated Press — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:51:29 -0500

A man dressed in black opened fire with a shotgun and two handguns from the stage of a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University today, killing five students and injuring 16 others before committing suicide, authorities said.

The gunman fatally shot four women and a man in a "brief, rapid-fire assault" that sent terrified students running for cover, university President John Peters said.

Super Tuesday Results Reveal Close Race

The Associated Press — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) seized command of the race for the Republican presidential nomination early today, winning delegate-rich primaries from the East Coast to California. Democratic rivals Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) traded victories in an epic struggle with no end in sight.

Clinton won the biggest state, California, in the Democratic campaign, capitalizing on backing from Hispanic voters. Obama fashioned victories in Alabama and Georgia on the strength of black support.

Giants Upset Patriots in Super Bowl XLII

The Associated Press — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:35:43 -0500

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Giants had the perfect answer for the suddenly imperfect Patriots: a big, bad defense and an improbable comeback led by their own Mr. Cool quarterback, Eli Manning.

In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, New York shattered New England's unbeaten season 17-14 Sunday night as Manning hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left. It was the Giants' 11th straight victory on the road and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year.

Torre Rejects Return to Yankees After Offered Pay Cut

The Associated Press — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

NEW YORK (AP) — After all he had accomplished — four World Series titles, 12 straight years in the playoffs, almost certain entry into the Hall of Fame — and after all the indignities, this was one Joe Torre wasn't going to stand for.

He wasn't going to take a pay cut from the New York Yankees, no matter that he still would have been the highest-paid manager in baseball, and he certainly wasn't going to prove himself all over again.

Torre walked away Thursday, turning down a $5 million, one-year contract — $2.5 million less than he made this season

Police Arrest One in Delaware State U. Shooting

The Associated Press — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:01:31 -0400

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Police arrested an 18-year-old man in the shooting of two students at Delaware State University, authorities said Monday. As they led him into a courthouse, he told reporters: "I'm sorry."

Loyer D. Braden, arrested about 3:30 a.m. in his dorm room, was charged with attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment, as well as a gun charge, according to court documents.

A justice of the peace set bail for the East Orange, N.J., teenager at $75,000 and ordered him to stay away from the victims and Delaware State. Braden is a freshman at Delaware State, according to a man at Braden's home in East Orange who identified himself only as a family member.

Families of Victims Commemorate Sept. 11

The Associated Press — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 11:30:38 -0400

NEW YORK (AP) — Still-grieving relatives of World Trade Center victims assembled at a lower Manhattan park today to mark the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, with gray skies and rain providing a grim backdrop to the first ceremony not held at ground zero.

The move prompted some families to skip this year's memorial, which was also the first time the commemoration has been held on a Tuesday - the day the attacks occurred in 2001 - and the first time it has rained.

Once again, the city paused to listen as the names of the 2,750 victims were read in a familiar but still-moving litany.

Senate Passes Legislation Increasing Financial Aid to College Students

The Associated Press — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:58:00 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress sent President George Bush legislation yesterday to boost financial aid for college students by cutting some $20 billion in government subsidies to banks that make student loans.

Bush has indicated he will sign the legislation, despite previous objections to parts of the bill. Specifically, the administration has criticized a student loan interest-rate cut and a new loan-forgiveness program, among other things.

House Democrats had made the popular interest-rate cut a priority during the run-up to the last election in which they regained control of Congress.

The House voted 292-97 for the student aid bill yesterday. Earlier in the day, the Senate approved the measure 79-12. All the lawmakers who voted against the bill were Republicans.

Senate Passes Legislation Increasing Financial Aid to College Students

The Associated Press — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:57:22 -0400

House Democrats had made the popular interest-rate cut a priority during the run-up to the last election in which they regained control of Congress.

The House voted 292-97 for the student aid bill yesterday. Earlier in the day, the Senate approved the measure 79-12. All the lawmakers who voted against the bill were Republicans.

Report: Va. Tech officials could have saved lives by notifying students, faculty sooner

The Associated Press — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:00:00 -0400

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Tech officials might have saved lives if they had notified faculty and students sooner about the first two shootings on campus, a panel concluded in its investigation of the April rampage that left 33 dead.

"Warning the students, faculty and staff might have made a difference. ... So the earlier and clearer the warning, the more chance an individual had of surviving," said the report, which was released late last night.

However, the report concluded that while swifter warnings might have helped students and faculty protect themselves or alert authorities of suspicious activity, a lockdown on April 16 of the 131 buildings on campus was not feasible.

Virginia Tech Gunman Had Raised Concerns With Writings

The Associated Press — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:42:22 -0400

Article body:

Updated 10:16 p.m.

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - The gunman in the Virginia Tech massacre was a sullen loner who alarmed professors and classmates with his twisted, violence-drenched creative writing and left a rambling note raging against women and rich kids.

Paul Wolfowitz ’65 Sparks Controversy at World Bank

The Associated Press — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:35:46 -0400

Article body:

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s been a stormy two years for Paul Wolfowitz ’65 as head of the World Bank — even before the controversy that recently put his job in jeopardy.

Wolfowitz grew up on The Hill, even taking classes at Cornell as a student at Ithaca High School while his father, Jacob, taught mathematics at the University.