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Front Page: Gaza Blast Kills 5, US/Iraq Talks Stall, Midwest Pounded

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:55:45 -0700

Gaza Blast Kills 5: A large explosion in Gaza yesterday killed at least five Palestinians, including several Hamas militants and a baby girl. Despite the death and destruction of a residential building, responsibility is unclear. Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, first blamed the blast on an Israeli air strike, causing them to fire rockets and mortar rounds at Israeli towns and villages around Gaza. The Israeli military has vehemently denied any involvement in the explosion.

US/Iraq Talks Stall: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki declared that talks with the US aimed at reaching a long-term agreement allowing US forces to remain in Iraq have "reached an impasse". According to Maliki, the US demands compromised Iraqi sovereignty. President Bush has said he wants an agreement by the end of July, as the UN mandate for US forces to be in Iraq expires at the end of 2008. Maliki said of the proposal, "We cannot allow US forces to have the right to jail Iraqis or assume, alone, the responsibility of fighting against terrorism."
Midwest Pounded: Iowa's Cedar River broke its banks yesterday, forcing the evacuation of thousands of homes and causing a railroad bridge to collapse. Officials estimated that 100 blocks are underwater in Cedar Rapids, where preparations weren't enough to hold back the water. The sheriff said of the weather crisis, "We're just kind of at God's mercy right now, so hopefully people that never prayed before this, it might be a good time to start." Estimates show that 3,200 homes were evacuated and 8,000 residents have been displaced. This news comes after a deadly tornado hit an Iowa Boy Scout camp, and a similarly deadly twister tore through Kansas, leaving residents to dig out of the destruction.

To see an exclusive, first-hand photo account of the Kansas aftermath, read more.

Front Page: Tornado Kills Boy Scouts, US Releases Tape of Strike, Toddlers Starve in Indonesia

CitizenSugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:54:17 -0700

Tornado Kills Boy Scouts: Four people were killed and 48 injured after a tornado tore through a Boy Scout camp in western Iowa last night. The victims included three 13-year-old scouts and one 14-year-old scout according to an executive with the Mid America Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The scouts at the devastated camp, aged 13 to 18 were participating in a leadership training course at the camp and "were some of the top scouts in the area,” according to a Homeland Security spokeswoman. Tornadoes also touched down in Kansas, Minnesota and Nebraska last night, killing another two in Kansas.

US Releases Tape of Strike: The US military has released the tape of the attack on the Pakistan border that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers and led officials to describe it as a "cowardly" act. The footage released by the Pentagon shows black-and-white aerial footage with narration describing the video. The narrator repeatedly notes that there are no military structures or outposts within the impact area. A Pentagon spokesman yesterday said they had "every indication we have at this point is that this was, indeed, a legitimate strike in defense of our forces after they came under attack."
Toddlers Starve in Indonesia: At least 21 toddlers have died of malnutrition in Indonesia in recent months as a food shortage threatens the lives of thousands more. The shortage brought on by floods and drought has led to an additional 116 youngsters being admitted to hospitals in critical condition, according to the head of the local health department. He said, "we urgently need medicine and nutritional foods to save the children. We are racing against time because they need nutritious food within 30 days if we want to save their lives."

Huge Storms Swipe Iowa and Minnesota Killing Eight

CitizenSugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 07:04:59 -0700

Storms brought huge hail, heavy rain and tornadoes to Iowa and Minnesota this weekend, killing at least seven people in Iowa and one 2-year-old in Minnesota.

The raging storms left parts of towns reduced to rubble and heavy rain and lightning continued with wind gusts of 70 mph. The National Weather Service pegs the storms to a massive warm system that had been centered over the southern and western great Plains several days ago. Moving north into Minnesota and Canada, the cold high that followed sparked severe storms.

Nearly 100 people have died in tornadoes so far this year - the biggest death toll in a decade - and the danger has not passed yet. Tornado season typically peaks in the spring and early summer.

Source

Front Page: Tornadoes Rip Midwest & South, First US Aid Lands in Myanmar, Fighting in Beirut

CitizenSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:57:24 -0700

Tornadoes Rip Midwest and South: Emergency crews are searching through the aftermath of violent storms that tore from the Midwest to the South and killed at least 23 people this weekend in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Georgia. In Oklahoma at least seven people were killed and officials said 150 people in the town were injured. In Missouri emergency crews are “ensuring that we have found any potential survivors or anyone unaccounted for.” The governor says at least 85 people had been injured in the storm. In Georgia, Gov. Sonny Perdue has issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in six counties. The weekend’s tornadoes are the latest in several outbreaks of violent weather this year. Twenty-two people were killed by tornadoes in four states in February, two were killed in Georgia in March, and seven were killed in Arkansas in May.

First US Aid Lands in Myanmar: The first US aid flight to Myanmar following last week's cyclone has finally landed in Rangoon. The US had to spend days negotiating with Myanmar's military government to gain permission to enter the country. The official death toll is now almost 30,000, though aid agencies fear 1.5 million could die without aid. Already more than two-thirds of the cyclone victims are yet to be reached, and agencies estimate that 100,000 have already died. Here's a list of ways to help the cyclone victims.
Fighting in Beirut: Violent fighting that has plagued Beirut, Lebanon, since Wednesday, broke out yesterday in the mountains east of Beirut. The fighting continues between supporters of the Western-backed government and followers of Hezbollah, the militant group backed by Iran. Hezbollah began withdrawing gunmen from the city Saturday evening, leading some to hope for peace after four days of street battles there. With the underlying political crisis still unresolved, the violence seems to have shifted to the eastern villages. Security officials put the toll of five days of fighting at 44 dead and 128 wounded.

Front Page: Tornadoes in VA, Militants Killed in Sadr City, UN Food Task Force

CitizenSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:47:41 -0700

Tornadoes in VA: Three tornadoes raced through southern Virginia yesterday afternoon, leaving more than 200 people hurt. One of the twisters left a 25-mile path of destruction. A man who works for a tree removal service and had been out for hours trying to clear the roads said, "it's just a bunch of broken power poles, telephone lines and sad faces.'" About 3,000 residents remain without power. Gov. Tim Kaine has declared a state of emergency in some areas. He will be touring the hardest hit regions today.

Militants Killed in Sadr City: The US military reports that at least 28 militants have been killed during battles in the Sadr City area of Baghdad. Intensified fighting between militants loyal to Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr and US and Iraqi forces in the Iraqi capital sparked after militia members attacked coalition positions Sunday during a sandstorm. Last week Muqtada al Sadr instructed his supporters that they should continue "resisting" the US "occupation" of Iraq, but they should not fight Iraqis.
UN Food Task Force: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is setting up a task force to tackle the global food crisis. Blaming soaring food prices, Ban said the world faces "widespread hunger, malnutrition and social unrest on an unprecedented scale." The first priority to get food to the hungry is to close this year's $755 million funding gap for the UN's World Food Programme (WFP). He urged countries pledging money to make the funds available now. The WFP believes 100 million people currently don't have enough food.

Front Page: Tornadoes, American Airlines, Petraeus Day Two, Nepal

CitizenSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:57:46 -0700

Several tornadoes ripped through West Texas and Oklahoma last night. Winds of up to 70 mph and heavy rains left one dead, at least five houses destroyed, and 3,500 without power. Flooding caused the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to close five highways in the state, while Arkansas also saw flash flooding.
American Airlines has canceled 900 additional flights today as it continues to perform safety inspections on certain jets. It's the third consecutive day of cancellations for American Airlines, who also canceled 1,094 flights on Wednesday and 460 flights the day before.

General Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, remained consistent in his second day of testimony before Congress with his recommendation to suspend troop reductions in Iraq. The recommendation shows that Iraqi forces remain unprepared to take over the mission of securing their own nation. Some questioning Petraeus became frustrated as he steadfastly declined to specify what conditions would need to be present on the ground before he would endorse withdrawals to take the number of American troops far below the 140,000 set to remain there after July. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed his frustration saying, “based on everything we have heard, we can reach only one conclusion: With 160,000 courageous American troops serving in Iraq, President Bush has an exit strategy for just one man - himself - on Jan. 20, 2009.”
Voters in Nepal have cast ballots in historic elections, the first since 1999. At question is an assembly that is expected to rewrite Nepal's constitution and abolish its monarchy. Polling was mostly peaceful, although one person was killed in election-related violence. Results are expected over the next 10 days.

Headline: Tornadoes Rip Through The South

CitizenSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:02:43 -0800

Devastating tornadoes swept through Alabama and Florida this weekend. Rescuers are now searching door-to-door in hard hit Prattville, AL. The storms left approximately 200 homes damaged or destroyed, and dozens of people with injuries. More than 10,000 are currently without power. These tornadoes were coupled with crippling snow blanketing the nation's mid-section, closing airports, and canceling campaign events ahead of tomorrow's Wisconsin primaries.

Check This: CNN Uses Blogs and Facebook to Cover Tornadoes

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:00:23 -0800

I guess it's true: We really are person of the year. This morning, while covering the devastation caused by the tornadoes that ripped through the mid-south, CNN relied on reporting from some very personal sources: Facebook and blogs. Using pictures of upturned cars posted on local Facebook pages and reading a posting from the blog Sassy Southerner to report the story, CNN pulled together a very eyewitness account, using no formal reportage.

With the death toll now reaching at least 52, President Bush has pledged aid to the states affected. The storms also ravaged Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.

It's a big story to be sure, with many affected - my question is this: Is CNN enhancing the telling of the story with these eyewitness accounts, or is reporting the news best left to the journalists? Did a Sassy Southerner tell the story better than a Wolf Blitzer?

Source

Front Page: Tornadoes Devastate Oklahoma

CitizenSugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:30:14 -0800

Tornadoes in Oklahoma have killed at least eight people and caused much destruction. - CNN
A middle school student in North Carolina was shot in the leg on a bus after his friend showed off a handgun he found at home. - AP
Sources report that quarterback Brett Favre has informed the New York Jets that he will retire. - Fox Sports

NATO plans to go after the drug trade in Afghanistan by killing drug traffickers and bombing drug processing laboratories. - New York Times
A day after Israel's close elections that produced no clear winner, both leading parties have opened talks with potential coalition partners. - BBC

Source

Front Page: al-Qaeda Grows, Italy, and Tornadoes

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:56:25 -0800

In a report to a Senate panel yesterday, the director of national intelligence, Mike McConnell, said that al-Qaeda is growing and building strength from within Pakistan. McConnell said that Osama bin Laden and his deputy were still in charge, and gaining in their ability to recruit and train new lieutenants. Al-Qaeda is concentrating on improving the last way they could attack the US: from within. This report is based on evidence that al-Qaeda might be training new Western militants, who can blend in with US society, to carry out attacks.
Italy's President Georgio Napolitano dissolved parliament yesterday. The upheaval comes after Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigned last month, and talks to form an interim government failed. Silvio Berlusconi is already unofficially campaigning. Italy is set to hold these new elections on April 13-14, its second elections in two years.
47 people are dead after tornadoes raced through Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama yesterday. The twisters joined forces with harsh winter weather across the nation's midsection. During Super Tuesday speeches yesterday, candidates paused to send thoughts and prayers to those affected.