News for Saturday, August 6, 2011

Formerly conjoined Guatemalan twin girls turn 10

Reaching that first double-digit age of 10 is a milestone for any kid, but for these Guatemalan twins born conjoined at the head, it's cause for joyous celebration — they've repeatedly defied the odds against survival at all.

Loving Lucy on her 100th birthday anniversary

On the 100th anniversary of Lucille Ball's birthday, her daughter is asking fans of the "I Love Lucy" star to be joyous.

Tornado-delayed graduation finally held at Alabama

About 3,300 University of Alabama graduates have finally gotten the chance to walk in cap and gown, more than three months after a tornado hit Tuscaloosa and forced their commencement to be postponed.

Witnesses: Polygamist leader ruled with heavy hand

Convicted polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs ruled with a heavy and abusive hand, several former followers testified Saturday, recounting how the man they once revered as a prophet banned parades, Sports Illustrated magazine and even the color red upon rising to power.

Verlander, Tigers hang on for 4-3 win over Royals

Justin Verlander lasted seven innings despite some balky defense behind him and the Detroit Tigers hung on to beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Saturday night, moving their ace into a tie for the major league lead in wins.

Pujols, Carpenter lead Cardinals to 2-1 win

Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer in the first inning, then Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis bullpen made it stand up Saturday night in a 2-1 win over the Florida Marlins.

Amy Winehouse's goddaughter performs at UK fest

Amy Winehouse's 15-year-old goddaughter performed an outstanding set at the Big Chill music festival, mirroring her late mentor by closing her show with a cover of Winehouse's "Love Is a Losing Game."

Mysterious donor to pro-Romney PAC identified

A once-mysterious donor who gave $1 million to a pro-Mitt Romney political action committee in April contributed the maximum amount to Romney's presidential campaign three weeks later, an Associated Press review found.

After S&P downgrade, WH says 'we must do better'

President Barack Obama sought to distance himself Saturday from the bad news of the nation's first-ever credit-rating downgrade, but lawmakers and presidential candidates showed no such reticence — trading salvos over who's at fault and why.

S&P officials defend US credit downgrade

Standard & Poor's says it downgraded the U.S. government's credit rating because it believes the U.S. will keep having problems getting its finances under control.

Traffic stops on I-70 yields 109 lbs. of marijuana

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has confiscated more than 100 pounds of marijuana after a traffic stop in western Missouri.

Copter shot down, killing 30 US troops, 7 Afghans

Insurgents shot down a U.S. military helicopter during fighting in eastern Afghanistan, killing 30 Americans, most of them belonging to the same elite Navy SEALs unit that killed Osama bin Laden, as well as seven Afghan commandos, U.S. officials said Saturday. It was the deadliest single loss for American forces in the decade-old war.

Source: G-7 to discuss central bank action

Financial officials from the Group of Seven industrialized nations will discuss how to coordinate action among their countries' central banks, a person familiar with the matter said Saturday, following several days of market panic and a downgrade of the U.S. credit rating.

Navy program aims to get its vets civilian jobs

The president and some members of Congress want tax breaks, expensive studies and even a "reverse boot camp" to tackle the unemployment rate among veterans, which runs higher than the national average. Another option the Navy would like to see: Expand a program that has helped tens of thousands of soon-to-be-ex-sailors get certified to use their skills outside the military — medics leave ready for health care jobs, cooks are trained for restaurant work and so on.

Group says it hacked US law enforcement websites

The group known as Anonymous said Saturday it has hacked some 70 law enforcement websites across the southern and central United States in retaliation for the arrests of its sympathizers in the U.S. and Britain.

Mo. doctors get paid while sleeping

As a doctor at one of Missouri’s psychiatric institutions, Hungi Sripal has been paid thousands of dollars while sleeping on the job.

Your Opinion: Spending cuts raise concerns

I have written letters dealing with how we accumulated our debt and the common sense reality of revenue as a necessary and fair component in addressing that debt.

Quinn gets the rookie treatment

First-round pick Robert Quinn was treated like just another rookie Friday night after his first full contact practice with the St. Louis Rams.

Council split over extending interim job

The job of interim city administrator has been extended to November 2012, but several council members have voiced their opposition to the extension.

Edwards says Roush offers best chance at Cup title

The one phone call from his boss that meant the most to Carl Edwards wasn’t a pitch to stay at Roush Fenway Racing.

Movie Review: ’Whistleblower’ paints Weisz too saintly

The post-war Bosnia drama “The Whistleblower” earns high marks for its humanitarian intentions and for Rachel Weisz’s steely performance as an American cop-turned-peacekeeper who exposes a sex-trafficking ring.

Movie Review: ‘Apes’ is big, ridiculous summer fun

Silly humans. We’re so arrogant. We see a cute, cuddly baby chimp, assign all kinds of familiar characteristics to it and raise it with the loving playfulness we’d give our own children, only to find that the creature’s unpredictable and ferocious animal nature wins out in the end.

Flood threat, summer heat hit growers in pocketbook

With the current river level holding steady at about 25 feet, now just 2 feet above flood stage, the idea of an imminent flood threat is out of the minds of many Mid-Missourians.

Chiefs have appealing options

The Chiefs’ return game got off to a promising start last year when rookie Dexter McCluster took a punt 94 yards for a momentum-swinging touchdown in the opener.

Post 5 Juniors roll to 12-5 win

The Jefferson City American Legion Post 5 Aflac Juniors continued their winning Friday night.

Music Review: Fountains of Wayne return to form

Fountains of Wayne, “Sky Full of Holes” (Yep Roc)

Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne are sharp enough songwriters that they haven’t made a bad album. But 2007’s “Traffic and Weather” lacked their usual snap, killing the momentum the band built up with its hit “Stacy’s Mom” and forcing them to search for a new record company.

Berkman lifts Cards past Marlins

Lance Berkman’s second double of the game brought home Albert Pujols with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning Friday night, and the St. Louis Cardinals held on to beat the Florida Marlins 3-2.

Review: Acer media-center PC has built-in touchpad

Flat-panel TVs and PCs go great together — the PC gets a giant screen, and the TV gets access to tons of online video. But getting the two together in an elegant way has been difficult.

Fight for food in Mogadishu leaves 7 dead

A World Food Program handout of corn rations to Somalis trying to survive a famine turned deadly Friday after government troops opened fire, killing at least seven, witnesses said.

Sheriff: School shooting plot in Louisiana foiled

Authorities in suburban New Orleans said Friday they uncovered a plot by three teenagers for “an incredible and devastating” attack at their high school during the first day of classes, with plans for two specific targets, indiscriminate shooting and suicide.

Berry farms fined for hiring kids 6 and older

Three strawberry farms were fined a total of $73,000 for employing children as young as 6 as pickers, the U.S. Labor Department said Friday.

Faulk’s mind took him to Hall of Fame

Kurt Warner understood what made the Greatest Show on Turf work.

Pilot explains encounter with F-16s: 75-year-old woman thought pilots admiring her plane

Myrtle Rose was just taking a short flight over suburban Chicago when the 75-year-old aviation enthusiast looked out her cockpit window to see two F-16 fighter jets.

Book Review: Garden of Eden imagined at 17 locations

“Paradise Lust: Searching for the Garden of Eden” (Grove Press), by Brook Wilensky-Lanford

It’s a challenge: Choose the location for the original Garden of Eden from the 17 suggested by this book’s new map.

Friday's National League Capsules

Dan Uggla extended his career-best hitting streak to 26 games with a two-run single in the eighth inning, Tim Hudson pitched seven stellar innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 4-1 on Friday night.

Mom urges trio of fugitive siblings to surrender: Police believe group poses threat to law enforcement

Three siblings from Florida are on the run from the FBI, accused of shooting at a police car during a high-speed chase and robbing a bank with assault weapons.

Friday's American League Capsules

Reliever Boone Logan struck out Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded to end the fifth inning, and the New York Yankees came back to beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 on Friday night to win their eighth straight game and take over first place in the AL East.

Teachers protest social media crackdown

As they prepare lesson plans for fall, teachers across Missouri have an extra chore before the new school year begins: purging their Facebook friend lists to comply with a new state law that limits their contact with students on social networks.

Jury recommends life for man in 3 Mo. deaths

The jury that found Ryan Patterson guilty of three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of a southeast Missouri woman, her son and unborn child also recommended life in prison, leaving relatives of the victims to wonder why they didn’t opt for the death penalty.

KC mayor says son sorry for causing ruckus at P&L

Kansas City Mayor Sly James said his son is embarrassed after being involved in a disturbance at a restaurant in the city’s downtown entertainment district that resulted in the 22-year-old being handcuffed before being released without charges filed.

Tigers beat Royals in ten

Brennan Boesch hit a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th inning Friday night to give the Detroit Tigers a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Greenway expansion under way

The latest Greenway expansion has begun, crossing over into state property.

Jobs report enough to calm Wall Street

The job market beat expectations, and the stock market managed a modest gain — not great, but good enough after a turbulent week.

State Fair to feature skin cancer screenings

The Missouri State Fair often is synonymous with hot summer days. Now some university physicians plan to use the fair to highlight the importance of sun safety.

Prisoners aiding Joplin tornado victims

Tornado victims and relief workers in Joplin have been cooling down and relieving stress with the help of Missouri prisoners.

Spiritual leaders tour new jail and bless building

With Bibles in hand and hearts open for intercessory prayer, nine clergy and lay leaders toured the new Cole County Sheriff’s facility Friday.

Nixon: No land tax credit in Mo. special session

Gov. Jay Nixon told Missouri legislative leaders Friday he would not include the expansion of a tax credit for assembling and maintaining large swaths of land in his planned call for a special legislative session.

’Downton’ stars collaborate on-screen and onstage

There are secret romances, wars and endless back-stabbing on “Downton Abbey,” the British TV series that follows the lives of the aristocratic Grantham family and their servants in the early 20th century.

Senate quickly approves FFA measure

The Senate approved legislation Friday ending a two-week partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration and President Barack Obama signed it into law, clearing the way for thousands of employees to return to work and hundreds of airport construction projects to resume.

Friday's MLS Capsules

Mullan helps Colorado beat Columbus 2-0

Brian Mullan and Omar Cummings scored in the second half to lead the Colorado Rapids to a 2-0 victory over Columbus on Friday, putting the Crew's Eastern Conference lead at risk.

Friday's WNBA Capsules

Sue Bird hit a 3-pointer on a 22-foot jumper with 0.4 seconds left to give the Seattle Storm a 81-79 win over the Connecticut Sun on Friday night.