USATODAY.com News [expanded by feedex.net]: 'Whitey' Bulger was hiding in plain sight

USATODAY.com News [expanded by feedex.net] USATODAY.com News 'Whitey' Bulger was hiding in plain sight 24 Jun 2011, 5:22 am LOS ANGELES — At one point in the FBI's 16-year pursuit of James "Whitey" Bulger, there were sightings of the accused murderer on two continents. AP Fugitive mobster James "Whitey" Bulger is shown in a photo taken shortly before he disappeared in 1995. AP Fugitive mobster James "Whitey" Bulger is shown in a photo taken shortly before he disappeared in 1995. Reports of the whereabouts of Bulger and his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Greig, were so frequent and — often — so wrong that Tom Fuentes, a former FBI assistant director, says Bulger assumed the ubiquitous, mythical existence of Elvis. "He was everywhere," Fuentes says. In the end, Bulger, the iconic Boston crime figure who was the inspiration for the Academy Award-winning film The Departed, was found with Greig not in a far-away locale but in the plain sight of Southern California's thick urban sprawl, living modestly in a Santa Monica apartment as Charles and Carol Gasko. BLOG: Bulger arrest recalls UFC owner's roots BLOG: Bulger arrest hits close for Mitt Romney BLOG: FBI: Tip, relentless pursuit led to Bulger Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said police believed the couple had been living there for years. Their capture late Wednesday came without incident, just two days after the FBI launched a publicity campaign focused on Greig. A tip from that series of public service announcements, which aired in 14 cities, led investigators to the Princess Eugenia apartments, ending one of the most intense manhunts in law enforcement history, Boston FBI chief Richard DesLauriers said Thursday. DesLauriers said federal agents used an undisclosed "ruse" to entice Bulger to leave his apartment. Once outside, Bulger was positively identified and taken into custody. Greig was found inside, where agents recovered tens of thousands of dollars and a cache of weapons. "Although there are those who doubted our resolve at times over the years," DesLauriers said Thursday, "it has never wavered." 'Sweetest couple' blended in Bulger, now 81 and charged with 19 murders, and Greig, 60, charged with harboring a fugitive, appeared in federal court here Thursday afternoon dressed in white jumpsuits. He had a full white beard and wore wire-rim glasses. Looking relaxed, even jovial, Bulger joined a discussion of the pending charges against him, at one point saying to the judge: "I know them all pretty much. Thank you." U.S. Magistrate Judge John McDermott denied bond for both defendants and ordered that they be returned immediately to Boston, where Bulger is accused of operating a vast criminal enterprise known as the Winter Hill Gang. The group, a largely Irish mob, ran loan-sharking, gambling and drug rackets, the indictment said. In 2000, then-U.S. attorney Donald Stern said Bulger and associate Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi were "responsible for a reign of intimidation and murder that spanned 25 years." The FBI says it has linked Bulger to a series of ruthless killings. One victim was shot between the eyes in a parking lot at his Oklahoma country club. Another was gunned down in broad daylight on a South Boston street to silence him from talking about the Oklahoma killing. Prosecutors said Bulger fled in 1995 after being warned by John Connolly Jr., a former Boston FBI agent who had used Bulger as an informant, that he was about to be indicted. Connolly was convicted of racketeering for shielding Bulger and Flemmi. In Santa Monica, Bulger and Greig had shed not only their names but also any apparent link to a criminal past. Montanna Bischoff, 25, a TV associate producer who lives in the same building, knew the friendly couple as "Carol and Charlie." "They were actually one of the sweetest couples I ever met," Bischoff says. "They were just a very sweet older couple. I said to my friend, 'They're so sweet, they could be the building grandparents.' " Bischoff often saw Bulger and Greig walking along Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade. Once, when the couple learned that Bischoff's roommate at the time was going out to buy cold medication, they stopped by later with cough drops and other supplies. She says she saw The Departed and couldn't connect the criminal in that movie with her neighbors. "To find out he's been on the Most Wanted List for murder and is a mobster is almost unreal, actually," she says. The couple seemed to be living a modest but comfortable lifestyle, Bischoff says. "They always looked nice and had fresh haircuts," she says. "They seemed pretty normal — no flashy clothes or jewelry." Mike Cashin, 25, of Marina del Rey, who visits his girlfriend at the three-story apartment building, says he often saw Bulger feeding a stray cat. "He'd wake up early and feed it every morning," putting a bowl of cat food outside the front door, Cashin says. "His girlfriend — we thought she was his wife — they were always outside," Cashin says. "They were always out walking, but you never really saw them talking to other people." Cashin says he knew the couple lived in the building for at least four years because that's how long he has been visiting there. Possibly traveled in Europe "It looks like they were there for quite some time, keeping a low profile," Commissioner Davis tells USA TODAY. "It's an easy place to get lost in.'' The FBI's tactics were wide-ranging: Having Bulger featured on the TV show America's Most Wanted. Contacting plastic surgeons and dentists who might have helped him alter his appearance. After numerous sightings, including one in London in 2002, Davis says it was "assumed that he was overseas," especially after the travel restrictions imposed after the 9/11 attacks. "But he also was somebody who had access to what seemed like an unlimited supply of cash," Davis says. In a February 2009 briefing at the State Department's Foreign Press Center, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Richard Teahan said authorities believed he might be in Europe. "Before Bulger was a fugitive, he enjoyed traveling to Europe," Teahan said then. "He traveled freely there with ease, and it's our belief that there are accounts, both safe deposit boxes and accounts under alias names that we have not found there … Europe was a favorite place for him to travel." Teahan said the FBI was "close" to capturing Bulger around the time of the London sighting. "But, you know, Bulger … planned for life on the run. He had contingency planning in place. He had secreted money in various locations, wouldn't leave a credit trail, utilized cash for everything." You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

USATODAY.com News [expanded by feedex.net]: New Romney PAC exemplifies 2012's steep stakes

USATODAY.com News [expanded by feedex.net] USATODAY.com News New Romney PAC exemplifies 2012's steep stakes 24 Jun 2011, 6:32 am WASHINGTON — Several prominent supporters of Mitt Romney on Thursday announced a new group that will spend unlimited sums of money to help the Republican's presidential campaign — a sign of the escalating fundraising battles ahead of the 2012 election. By John Moore, Getty Images Mitt Romney, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, greets supporters at the Brewery Bar IV on Monday in Aurora, Colo. By John Moore, Getty Images Mitt Romney, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, greets supporters at the Brewery Bar IV on Monday in Aurora, Colo. Restore Our Future political action committee is the latest in a string of Super PACs formed in recent months to capitalize on court rulings that have eased restrictions on corporate spending in elections. A similar group was formed this year by former aides to President Obama. Under federal rules, Super PACs must operate independently of candidates. "They are creating as many pockets as possible for people to put money in," said Meredith McGehee of the Campaign Legal Center, a campaign watchdog group. She called the pro-Romney group "a shadow campaign created by his political operatives and cronies." In a statement, Charlie Spies, the group's treasurer, said Obama "has failed to fix the problems that affect Americans" and said Romney "understands the economy." Spies served as Romney's top lawyer in the Republican's 2008 failed presidential bid. Other board members include political consultant Carl Forti, who has served as political director of American Crossroads, an independent group founded with help from Karl Rove, a top political strategist for George W. Bush. Crossroads and a sister group spent heavily to help Republicans gain control of the House of Representatives in 2010 and have pledged to raise $120 million to influence next year's presidential and congressional races. Brittany Gross, a Restore Our Future spokeswoman, said "both sides are engaging" in outside spending. "We have to find a way to level the playing field." Romney spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said the PAC's creation made sense, given expectations that Obama could raise as much as $1 billion for his re-election. "We are pleased that independent groups will be active in fighting this entrenched power," she said in a statement. Democratic outside groups formed this year include Priorities USA Action and a sister organization co-founded by Bill Burton, a former Obama spokesman. Last month, it produced an anti-Romney commercial, its first of the campaign. Other Democratic groups include American Bridge 21st Century, whose top staff includes former aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Chris Harris, the group's spokesman, said the Democratic groups were formed to respond to the 2010 election gains made by Republicans. "Democrats of all stripes realized we need to get up and fight," Harris said. Nathaniel Persily, an election law expert at Columbia University, said the spread of outside groups reflects a changing legal climate. But, he said, "it's not clear that the advent of all these new PACs means more money will be spent. It will just be spent in a different form." You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Game On - USATODAY.com [expanded by...: NBA Draft live blog: Irving goes No. 1; foreign players dominate early

Game On - USATODAY.com [expanded by feedex.net] Game On - USATODAY.com NBA Draft live blog: Irving goes No. 1; foreign players dominate early 24 Jun 2011, 4:37 am USA TODAY blogged the NBA Draft. The first round began with Cleveland taking Kyrie Irving of Duke and ended with Chicago grabbing Marquette's Jimmy Butler. You can go to nba.usatoday.com for all your news and picks for both rounds of the draft. Let us know what you thought of the picks. The first round: No. 1 Kyrie Irving, Cleveland; No.2 Derrick Williams, Minnesota; No. 3 Enes Kanter, Utah; No. 4 Tristan Thompson, Cleveland; No. 5 Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto; No. 6 Jan Vesely, Washington; No. 7 Bismack Biyombo, Sacramento (for Charlotte); No. 8 Brandon Knight, Detroit; No. 9 Kemba Walker, Charlotte; No. 10 Jimmer Fredette, Milwaukee (for Sacramento); No. 11 Klay Thompson, Golden State; No. 12: Alec Burks, Utah; No. 13: Markieff Morris, Phoenix; No. 14: Marcus Morris, Houston; No. 15: Kawhi Leonard, Indiana; No. 16: Nikola Vucevic, Philadelphia; No. 17: Iman Shumpert, New York; No. 18, Chris Singleton, Washington; No. 19: Tobias Harris, Charlotte (picking for Milwaukee); No. 20: Donatas Motiejunas, Minnesota; No. 21: Nolan Smith, Portland; No. 22: Kenneth Faried, Denver; No. 23: Nikola Mirotic, Montenegro; No. 24: Reggie Jackson, Oklahoma City; No. 25: Marshon Brooks, Boston; No. 26: Jordan Hamilton, Dallas; No. 27: JuJuan Johnson, New Jersey; No. 28: Norris Cole, Chicago (expected to trade him to Minnesota for Motiejunas; Minnesota is then expected to ship him to Miami for Bojan Bogdanovic); No. 29: Cory Joseph, San Antonio; No. 30: Jimmy Butler, Chicago. 11:03: We leave you now but ask that you tell us whether your team filled their needs and whether this was a weak draft like all the experts told us it would be. Of course we might just want to watch these guys play before we make a decision. 10:58: Kobe Bryant has gotten a new point guard as the Lakers take Michigan's Darius Morris who is 6-5. Not a great shooter but that is not what the Lakers needed is it? He's an LA product so there is that. 10:51: Jeremy Tyler, who skipped his senior year of high school to go overseas, is picked No. 39 by Charlotte. He had a disastrous year in Israel but most recently played in Tokyo. He is 6-11, 262 pounds, however. Now we learn he's going to Golden State. 10:38: The Wizards take Shelvin Mack. We were wondering when the Butler star would go and it was 34th (second round) to Washington. Bravo. Now if we can just get Matt Howard taken. 10:32: The Cavaliers take 6-9 Justin Harper of Richmond in the second round. We are mentioning that because not only is he from a non-BCS school but is a senior. That combination is almost unheard of in this draft. The Pistons with the 33rd pick take Kyle Singler from Duke. He follows teammates Kyrie Irving and Nolan Smith who were first round picks. 10:26: Norris Cole, the 28th overall pick is going to Miami for the 31st pick and a second round pick to Minnesota. The Heat get a point guard and pick Bojan Bogdanovic. 10:22: The Bulls end the first round by picking forward Jimmy Butler, Marquette at No. 30. 10:17: San Antonio takes Cory Joseph of Texas with the No. 29 pick. He may now be the heir apparent to Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili if George Hill is traded as rumored. 10:12: The Bulls select guard Norris Cole of Cleveland State at No. 28. They will trade the pick to Minnesota for Motiejunas according to Andy Katz of ESPN. Is there a team with more guards than the Timberwolves. Interesting. 10:07: The Nets do indeed pick JuJuan Johnson. Now we'll see if the 6-10 forward is headed to Boston for Marshon Brooks and a second round pick. 10:05: ESPN's Andy Katz has New Jersey picking Purdue's JaJuan Johnson and trading him to Boston for the just picked Marshon Brooks. 10:04: With the 26th pick the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks select Jordan Hamilton of Texas. At 6-7 could play small forward or shooting guard. Some thought he would go much higher than this. 9:58: The Boston Celtics grab Marshon Brooks of Providence with the 25th pick. A little bit of surprise because the Celtics seemed to need a big man. However, he's a great scorer, maybe the best scorer in the draft after Fredette. And who can't use a 6-5 guard who can shoot the lights out? 9:53: Oklahoma City takes Reggie Jackson of Boston College with the No. 24 pick. A scoring guard with a 7-foot wing span. He seemed to get promised to Oklahoma City and refused to workout with a lot of teams. He brings the dreaded label of a tough guy to coach. 9:47: The Rockets take Nikola Mirotic of Montenegro with the No. 23 pick. He'll probably stay out of the USA for at least a few years according to ESPN's Fran Fraschilla. 9:41: With the No. 22 pick, Denver drafts Kenneth Faried from Morehead State. He is the best pure rebounder in the draft. He just goes and gets the ball. Coach George Karl has to feel like its his birthday and he might be sending thank you notes to all the teams that didn't take this guy and let him fall down to the Nuggets. 9:33: Portland takes Nolan Smith at No. 21. So much for my prediction of San Antonio later in the draft. But I'm putting him down as a steal at No. 21. He's smart, he's a two-way player and he's more talented than most people believe. He's also got the bloodlines with his late father Derrick, a star at Louisville. Portland fans can only hope that this time the draft pick stays healthy. The ghosts of Sam Bowie, Brandon Roy, Greg Oden and Bill Walton are still haunting fans. 9:28: Minnesota selects Donatas Motiejunas, a 7-footer from Lithuania No. 20. The 'Wolves, a young team last year, getting even younger with Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams and Motiejunas. It also appears that the Kawhi Leonard is moving from Indiana to San Antonio for guard George Hill. How about Duke's Nolan Smith going to Spurs later (No. 29) as the backup to Tony Parker now that Hill is gone? 9:24: At No. 19 Charlotte takes Tennessee's Tobias Harris. They were picking for Milwaukee after the trade. 9:18: The Wizards take 6-9 Chris Singleton of Florida State at No. 18. A defender. Sometime Washington needed. Not a scorer. There seems to be a run on guys who can rebound and defend but can't put the ball in the basket. Nice to see the other side getting some love. Florida State was one of the best defensive teams in the nation last year. Singleton's selection also cleared the green room. The ghost of Rashard Lewis is gone. 9:10: The Knicks select at No.17 and take Iman Shumpert of Georgia Tech. The crowd in New Jersey does not take it well. Bilas likes him as a defender and his 40 inch vertical jump. That still probably won't excite the fans at the Garden. Perhaps that will change when they see him play. Bilas calls it "an interesting pick." Said Spike Lee: "I never heard of Landry Fields either until we picked him." 9:05: With the No. 16 pick the Philadelphia 7ers take Nikola Vucevic, from USC. 9:00: The Indiana Pacers take Kawhi Leonard from San Diego State at No. 15. Wingspan of a guy 7-3 even though he's 6-7. He'll give you great defense and rebounding. Scoring will have to improve. The size of his hands are freakish. It is nice to have X-Men features when you are a rebounder.8:54: Brother to brother. The Rockets take Kansas' Marcus Morris at No. 14. He looks an awful like the guy the Suns just took. Twins that are five minutes apart (in the draft anyway). Rock, chalk, Jayhawk my friends. Markieff's turn to cry. It is nice when you are a forward and your coach (Kevin McHale) was one of the greatest forwards of all-time.8:46: At No. 13 the Suns select Markieff Morris of Kansas. His twin brother Marcus was projected ahead of him but of course that is the beauty of the draft. Marcus sheds some tears of joy after his brother was named. Markieff will be a guy that gives the Suns some muscle under the boards. The sound you hear is Steve Nash clapping. The Suns like twins since they took Robin Lopez a few years ago. 8:41: With the 12th pick the Jazz select Alec Burks from Colorado. 8:35: Golden State takes Klay Thompson. His dad Mychal was the No. 1 pick in the 1978 draft. 8:30: The Bucks take Jimmer Fredette with the No. 10 pick. Let the Jimmermania begin in Sacramento who Milwaukee picked for after the trade. Everybody will talk about him not being able to play defense. But this guy is a flat out scorer and that is nothing to sneeze at. And for a guy who use to visit prisons to play I don't want to hear about how they might try to rough him up in the NBA. Guys who are serving 10-20 are tougher than guys with five-year contracts. 8:21: With the No. 9 pick the Bobcats take Kemba Walker from UConn. Okay, it turns out MJ likes guys who are winners. 8:17: The Pistons, hoping to start a rebuilding project, take Brandon Knight of Kentucky. Finally a guy we've seen play. Detroit is planning to build from the guard up. Worked with Isiah Thomas. Played one season with the Wildcats proving that the NBA loves guys who play as little in college as possible. If you combine the first eight picks they barely played two seasons combined in college. Kentucky coach John Calipari believes the longer a player stays the more holes scouts find in their game. That seems to be proven out year after year. 8:10: The Kings (picking for Charlotte after the trade) take with the seventh pick 6-foot-9 Bismack Biyombo of the Congo. That makes four of the 7 picks in the draft being foreign players. I speak for ESPN's Dick Vitale who asks every year whether NBA scouts have ever seen a college game? Biyombo speaks for himself since he's fluent in six languages. Fraschilla says "he can not score" but he loves him as a defensive player. "High risk, high reward." Hopefully, Charlotte owner Michael Jordan feels the same way. Detroit is now on the clock. 8:07: The Wizards at No. 6 select Jan Vesely of the Czech Republic. Washington gets some height in the 6-11 Vesely who is being compared to Tom Chambers. If you saw the kiss the pick got you would understand what Fran Fraschilla meant when he said he had great taste in women. The Kings are now on the clock picking for Charlotte after the trade. 8:02: The Raptors select Jonas Valanciunas of Lithuania. The 6-11 center is 19 years old and may stay overseas for another season before coming to the NBA. He's being compared to Pau Gasol and Chris Bosh. We happen to love the Lakers and Heat forwards so we'll make no snide. My hometown Washington Wizards on the clock and we may get to see that suit Bilas talked about. 7:55: With the 4th pick the Cavaliers take Tristan Thompson of Texas. A bit of a shock here. The 6-8 forward was expected to go a few slots down. Thompson and Irving are now in Cleveland and hopefully can get Cavs fans off their LeBron hate bandwagon and start dreaming of wins. Owner Dan Gilbert promised a title before the Heat and so it has to start with Thompson and Irving. The Raptors are now on the clock. 7:50: The Utah Jazz select Enes Kanter from Turkey. The draftniks are now 3-for-3. Irving played 11 games for Duke which was 11 more than Kanter played for Kentucky after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA. Kanter said he's dedicating his rookie season to Kentucky. The Cavaliers are back on the clock. This is where teams could deviate from the script. 7:48: So far there have been major fashion statements made as in year's past. Both Irving and Williams wore dark suits. Very fashionable but a long way from Jalen Rose's red pinstripes. Maybe Kawhi Leonard will rise to the challenge. 7:44: With the No. 2 pick the Timberwolves take Derrick Williams of Arizona. So far the draft is going to form. Ironic though that the guy who knocked Duke out of the NCAA tournament went after the Blue Devil who came back from injury to play in the tournament. The Utah Jazz are now on the clock. 7:38: The Cleveland Cavaliers select Kyrie Irving. Nobody in the country is shocked right now. The Duke point guard played 11 games averaging 17.5 points and 4.3 assists. Previous overall No.1s in Cleveland: Austin Carr, Brad Daugherty and LeBron James. The Cavaliers also have the No. 4 pick. Minnesota is now on the clock and expected to take Arizona's Derrick Williams. 7:34: David Stern walks out to the podium to some scattered boos. But turns them into cheers by asking for a hand for New Jersey. That is why he's the smartest man in the building. 7:17: Bilas' top five on his board: Irving, Derrick Williams, Enes Kanter, Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight. He's got Jimmer Fredette at No. 13. Jon Barry hints that Minnesota is very interested in Kanter at No. 2 instead of Williams. That would throw the draft into a bit of chaos. 7:10: Analysts have been saying for two weeks that this draft doesn't have a lot of great players but does have a lot of good players. If I had that type of crystal ball I'd be buying stocks and living at the racetrack. Shouldn't we wait to see these guys play before we judge their greatness? 7:08: Ric Bucher says there is a deal with Stephen Jackson going to Milwaukee with Charlotte getting the No. 7 pick and Sacramento getting the No. 10 pick. The Bucks will get the 19th pick. Click here for all the details. 6:54: We would like to see ESPN analyst Jay Bilas at an open mike night. Here's an early draft tweet from him: Kahwi Leonard's suit is an homage to Thurston Howell III, rivaled only by Craig Sager's blue velour sport coat. Is Nixon still President? 6:15: Everyone and their mom has Duke point guard Kyrie Irving going in this spot. The draft gets fascinating quickly if they don't pick him. Minnesota choosing next wants anything but a point guard with Jonny Flynn already on the roster and Ricky Rubio having just got into town from Spain. See photos of: Derrick Williams, Kemba Walker, Brandon Knight, Jimmer Fredette, Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor . For publication consideration in the newspaper, sendto . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to . You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

USATODAY.com Nation News [expanded by...: Fried Kool-Aid? It joins the list of summer sizzlers

USATODAY.com Nation News [expanded by feedex.net] USATODAY.com Nation News Fried Kool-Aid? It joins the list of summer sizzlers 24 Jun 2011, 1:52 am Fried Kool-Aid is the newest of favored fried foods for sale at state fairs this summer, but maybe the usual fried "Zucchini Weeni," a hot dog wrapped in zucchini and dipped in batter, is more your speed. By Gregory Bull, AP Bennett Perry of San Diego bites into a fried Kool-Aid ball at the County Fair in Del Mar, Calif. The crispy balls with their red-hot insides are a big seller. By Gregory Bull, AP Bennett Perry of San Diego bites into a fried Kool-Aid ball at the County Fair in Del Mar, Calif. The crispy balls with their red-hot insides are a big seller. At the San Diego County Fair, where fried Kool-Aid made its debut June 10, entrepreneur "Chicken" Charlie Boghosian, 42, tries to come up with new and unusual fried foods to add to his menu every year. To make the newest treat, Boghosian creates a thick batter with Kool-Aid drink powder and uses an ice cream scoop to drop balls of the mix into the fryer. An order of six or seven costs $5.95. "Quite a few people wanted me to tell them the exact recipe, but I won't tell," Boghosian says. "I have not heard anyone who has tried it and hasn't loved it. It tastes just like the drink, only you are eating it." Boghosian is one of many entrepreneurs frying up unusual things. •The Minnesota State Fair has deep-fried spaghetti and meatballs, bacon cheddar mashed potatoes and bologna, all on a stick. •Spam's online recipe exchange has a suggestions for ways to eat fried Spam. •Legoland sells fried granny smith apples called "Granny's Apple Fries." •Deep-fried lattes, colas, peanut butter, beer and even deep-fried butter have won awards at the Texas State Fair's Big Tex Choice Awards. "It's not the most healthy thing for you, but people have come to expect fun food at fairs and fun food is fried food," says Mark Zable, who calls himself the "inventor of fried beer." Zable, 40, of Plano, Texas, fills pretzel dough with liquid beer and deep fries it. "Fried Kool-Aid is Kool-Aid-flavored dough balls," he says. "If I was going to fry a liquid, I actually wanted it to be a liquid." Whatever the technique, Boghosian knows the deep-fry approach sells. "The first thing I invented was the deep-fried Oreo cookie," he says. "I have sold over 2 million cookies since that time. … We have sold over 500 pounds of Kool-Aid mix and thousands of pounds of flour." For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, sendto letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com. We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more. Advertisement Most Popular E-mail Newsletter Sign up to get: Top viewed stories, photo galleries and community posts of the day Most popular right now: You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

USATODAY.com Nation News [expanded by...: N.Y. gay marriage fight gets ugly; long night ahead

USATODAY.com Nation News [expanded by feedex.net] USATODAY.com Nation News N.Y. gay marriage fight gets ugly; long night ahead 23 Jun 2011, 11:58 pm N.Y. Senate doesn't take up gay marriage bill ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York's Republican Senate again failed to take up Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's bill to legalize gay marriage after another marathon session Thursday and protests by hundreds of demonstrators. Negotiations have dragged on for two weeks over what could be a pivotal moment in the national gay rights movement. Gay rights supporters have secured legal marriage status for same-sex couples in Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Iowa and the District of Columbia, and are hoping a gain in New York will give them greater momentum. Thursday, Senate leader Dean Skelos abruptly ended the session just before 11 p.m. for the "health of the members," who were awaiting the printing of bills not expected until after 4 a.m. When lawmakers return Friday, they still face several other bills before they can consider making New York the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Democrats weren't happy with the pace. "This isn't stalling, it's a complete work stoppage by the Senate Republicans," said Austin Shafran, spokesman for the Democratic minority that supports gay marriage. The bill has passed in the Assembly but several amendments have been proposed since then to better protect religious groups from discrimination lawsuits and to entice Republican senators to send the bill to the full Senate for a vote. Of those places where gay marriage is legal, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., are the only ones that don't allow at least limited religious exemptions. Skelos, who opposes gay marriage, has said his Republican caucus will have to meet behind closed doors to decide whether to move the bill to the floor or kill it. Republican Sen. Greg Ball of Putnam County said Thursday he believes the GOP conference will pass the gay marriage bill, but not with his vote. Ball had once been publicly undecided and used that time to push for additional protections for religious groups. "Knowing that marriage equality was likely to pass, I thought it important to force the issue of religious protections," Ball said. But he said not enough protections were being added to the bill. In the Capitol building, supporters and opponents have peacefully coexisted with occasional outbursts since last week, singing hymns like "This Little Light of Mine," or "Amazing Grace." "The tension is always high because you have people yelling at you back and forth," Tonja Alvis, a gay marriage supporter from Albany, said Thursday. "It's like a rally at a football game." The two opposing groups, kept segregated by state troopers, largely stayed on opposite sides of the hallways. Meanwhile, Skelos, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan and at least one other lawmaker said they have been besieged by offensive posts, forcing them to curtail. Dolan has blogged that he loves gay people who want to get married but still ardently opposes gay marriage. The church says Dolan's been one of the targets of cyber abuse and vulgarities prompted the banning of someers on the Catholic church's Facebook and Twitter pages. Skelos also has closed down theon his Facebook page after supporters used vulgarities and posted the home addresses of senators opposed to gay marriage. Democratic Sen. Diane Savino of Staten Island, who supports gay marriage, said she, too, had had an onslaught of offensive postings by opponents of same-sex marriage. Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

USATODAY.com Nation News [expanded by...: 'Whitey' Bulger was hiding in plain sight

USATODAY.com Nation News [expanded by feedex.net] USATODAY.com Nation News 'Whitey' Bulger was hiding in plain sight 24 Jun 2011, 5:22 am 'Whitey' Bulger was hiding in plain sight By William M. Welch, Kevin Johnson, and Melanie Eversley LOS ANGELES — At one point in the FBI's 16-year pursuit of James "Whitey" Bulger, there were sightings of the accused murderer on two continents. Reports of the whereabouts of Bulger and his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Greig, were so frequent and — often — so wrong that Tom Fuentes, a former FBI assistant director, says Bulger assumed the ubiquitous, mythical existence of Elvis. "He was everywhere," Fuentes says. In the end, Bulger, the iconic Boston crime figure who was the inspiration for the Academy Award-winning film The Departed, was found with Greig not in a far-away locale but in the plain sight of Southern California's thick urban sprawl, living modestly in a Santa Monica apartment as Charles and Carol Gasko. BLOG: Bulger arrest recalls UFC owner's roots BLOG: Bulger arrest hits close for Mitt Romney BLOG: FBI: Tip, relentless pursuit led to Bulger Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said police believed the couple had been living there for years. Their capture late Wednesday came without incident, just two days after the FBI launched a publicity campaign focused on Greig. A tip from that series of public service announcements, which aired in 14 cities, led investigators to the Princess Eugenia apartments, ending one of the most intense manhunts in law enforcement history, Boston FBI chief Richard DesLauriers said Thursday. DesLauriers said federal agents used an undisclosed "ruse" to entice Bulger to leave his apartment. Once outside, Bulger was positively identified and taken into custody. Greig was found inside, where agents recovered tens of thousands of dollars and a cache of weapons. "Although there are those who doubted our resolve at times over the years," DesLauriers said Thursday, "it has never wavered." 'Sweetest couple' blended in Bulger, now 81 and charged with 19 murders, and Greig, 60, charged with harboring a fugitive, appeared in federal court here Thursday afternoon dressed in white jumpsuits. He had a full white beard and wore wire-rim glasses. Looking relaxed, even jovial, Bulger joined a discussion of the pending charges against him, at one point saying to the judge: "I know them all pretty much. Thank you." U.S. Magistrate Judge John McDermott denied bond for both defendants and ordered that they be returned immediately to Boston, where Bulger is accused of operating a vast criminal enterprise known as the Winter Hill Gang. The group, a largely Irish mob, ran loan-sharking, gambling and drug rackets, the indictment said. In 2000, then-U.S. attorney Donald Stern said Bulger and associate Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi were "responsible for a reign of intimidation and murder that spanned 25 years." The FBI says it has linked Bulger to a series of ruthless killings. One victim was shot between the eyes in a parking lot at his Oklahoma country club. Another was gunned down in broad daylight on a South Boston street to silence him from talking about the Oklahoma killing. Prosecutors said Bulger fled in 1995 after being warned by John Connolly Jr., a former Boston FBI agent who had used Bulger as an informant, that he was about to be indicted. Connolly was convicted of racketeering for shielding Bulger and Flemmi. In Santa Monica, Bulger and Greig had shed not only their names but also any apparent link to a criminal past. Montanna Bischoff, 25, a TV associate producer who lives in the same building, knew the friendly couple as "Carol and Charlie." "They were actually one of the sweetest couples I ever met," Bischoff says. "They were just a very sweet older couple. I said to my friend, 'They're so sweet, they could be the building grandparents.' " Bischoff often saw Bulger and Greig walking along Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade. Once, when the couple learned that Bischoff's roommate at the time was going out to buy cold medication, they stopped by later with cough drops and other supplies. She says she saw The Departed and couldn't connect the criminal in that movie with her neighbors. "To find out he's been on the Most Wanted List for murder and is a mobster is almost unreal, actually," she says. The couple seemed to be living a modest but comfortable lifestyle, Bischoff says. "They always looked nice and had fresh haircuts," she says. "They seemed pretty normal — no flashy clothes or jewelry." Mike Cashin, 25, of Marina del Rey, who visits his girlfriend at the three-story apartment building, says he often saw Bulger feeding a stray cat. "He'd wake up early and feed it every morning," putting a bowl of cat food outside the front door, Cashin says. "His girlfriend — we thought she was his wife — they were always outside," Cashin says. "They were always out walking, but you never really saw them talking to other people." Cashin says he knew the couple lived in the building for at least four years because that's how long he has been visiting there. Possibly traveled in Europe "It looks like they were there for quite some time, keeping a low profile," Commissioner Davis tells USA TODAY. "It's an easy place to get lost in.'' The FBI's tactics were wide-ranging: Having Bulger featured on the TV show America's Most Wanted. Contacting plastic surgeons and dentists who might have helped him alter his appearance. After numerous sightings, including one in London in 2002, Davis says it was "assumed that he was overseas," especially after the travel restrictions imposed after the 9/11 attacks. "But he also was somebody who had access to what seemed like an unlimited supply of cash," Davis says. In a February 2009 briefing at the State Department's Foreign Press Center, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Richard Teahan said authorities believed he might be in Europe. "Before Bulger was a fugitive, he enjoyed traveling to Europe," Teahan said then. "He traveled freely there with ease, and it's our belief that there are accounts, both safe deposit boxes and accounts under alias names that we have not found there … Europe was a favorite place for him to travel." Teahan said the FBI was "close" to capturing Bulger around the time of the London sighting. "But, you know, Bulger … planned for life on the run. He had contingency planning in place. He had secreted money in various locations, wouldn't leave a credit trail, utilized cash for everything." We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

On Deadline - USATODAY.com [expanded by...: Abandoned pup first to get 4 bionic paws

On Deadline - USATODAY.com [expanded by feedex.net] On Deadline - USATODAY.com Abandoned pup first to get 4 bionic paws 24 Jun 2011, 1:03 am Here's another amazing story about the convergence of veterinary medicine, technology and pet care: A pup who lost his paws to frostbite after being abandoned in winter by Nebraskans fleeing their foreclosed home has become the first dog to receive four prosthetic paws, according a report by Incredible Features that is getting some notice. The bionic legs allow Naki'o, a red heeler, to run, jump and swim. The pioneering prosthetics were designed and fitted by Martin Kaufmann, founder of Orthopets, in Denver. Read the heart-breaking, heart-warming saga of Naki'o here. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor . For publication consideration in the newspaper, sendto . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to . You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.