HOBOKEN, N.J. – It was easy banter about which route the
pilot of a Piper airplane would take through the busy airspace over New York's Hudson River. The air traffic controller at Teterboro Airport gave
him two choices: Head down the river, or take a southwest tack. Full Story »
BARNSTABLE, Mass. - Pope Benedict XVI is praying for former President John F. Kennedy's sister Eunice Kennedy Shiver as she remains in critical condition at a Massachusetts hospital. Full Story »
NEW YORK - The collision of a sightseeing helicopter and a small plane over New York's Hudson River has intensified pressure to tighten the rules governing one of the world's most crowded air corridors — a largely unregulated airspace some pilots compare to the Wild West. Full Story »
MINNEAPOLIS - What should have been a 2 1/2-hour trip from Houston to Minneapolis had moved into itsninth hour, and the 47 passengers on board had burned through thefree pretzels and drinks handed out early in their Friday
night flight from Houston. Full Story »
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A mother of six from Ohio has pleaded guilty to conning friends and family out of more than $800,000 by claiming her husband suffered from cancer. Full Story »
GRETNA, La. - The jury in the second-degree murder trial of rapper Corey "C-Murder" Miller plans to continue deliberations. Full Story »
ST. LOUIS - Hundreds of Americans in eight cities are lining up for experimental swine flu shots in a race to get a vaccine out in case the new flu virus regains strength this fall and winter. Full Story »
VARNER, Ark. - Lawmakers retraced the steps of two convicted murders who escaped an Arkansas prison wearing guard uniforms, questioning corrections officials Monday over a perceived culture of complacency at the state's lockups. Full Story »
DES MOINES, Iowa - Last year's marathon presidential campaign should have sated even the most intense political junkies, but in Iowa and New Hampshire some are already looking ahead to 2012. Full Story »
RICHMOND, Va. - A federal appeals court in Virginia has upheld the conviction of the first American civilian found guilty of mistreating a detainee during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Full Story »
Testing for a vaccine for the swine flu has started across the country. In Baltimore, 67 healthy adults were given the vaccine. If all goes well, the vaccine could be given to millions of people
this fall. (Aug. 11)
Go behind the scenes as Greta prepares for Monday's 'On the Record'
Here's the latest news for Tuesday, August 11th: Obama on healthcare; Hudson crash; Japan quake; coaster scare.
Oregon woman claims cops are OK with her walking around nude
Young Army Ranger killed in Iraq serves as an organ donor.
Rescue crews have removed the last person stranded on a roller coaster ride at the Great America Theme Park in Santa Clara, California. (Aug. 10)
SDG&E claims it's a plan that will prevent future wildfires. Critics argue it will just create more risks. SDG&E wants to shut power off in extreme fire conditions, but keep the electricity going at so-called customer care centers.
911 calls from Hudson River collision
Jonathan Hunt gets an aerial tour of the midair collision scene
Running of the bulldogs in California; Connecticut wedding crasher arrives in aerial form
Hundreds of General Motors' California dealers will let consumers haggle over the prices of new cars and trucks through the eBay online marketplace under a trial that begins Tuesday. (Aug. 10)
Hudson River divers on Monday found the wreckage of a private plane that collided with a sightseeing helicopter and killed nine people over the weekend, and they hoped it would lead to the recovery of two bodies that remained in the river. (Aug. 10)
President Barack Obama has been meeting with Mexican and Canadian leaders on swine flu and other threats at a North American summit in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Aug. 10)
NTSB update on midair collision over Hudson River
Rod Blagojevich isn't letting his legal troubles get him down. The indicted former Illinois governor sang Elvis Presley songs at a block party over the weekend in Chicago. (Aug. 10)
Texas is in the grip of a drought that is hurting cattlmen, recreational services and everyone in between. The AP's Rich Matthews reports. (Aug. 10)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's temper flared on Monday when a Congolese university student asked for her husband's thinking on an international matter. (Aug. 10)
Transit police investigated a report that a man who fatally shot three women at a Pittsburgh-area health club may have had a hand grenade aboard a bus one week earlier. (Aug. 10)
A mother and baby whale beached themselves in shallow water near Miami Monday. Beachgoers and emergency crews tried to help, but local reports say one whale died. (Aug. 10)
Murderer Charles Manson speaks with Geraldo in rare jailhouse interview
A Liberian teenager charged as an adult in the gang rape of an 8-year-old girl has pleaded not guilty in a Phoenix courtroom. (Aug. 10)
Dangers of being in a helicopter over New York's Hudson River
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered his condolences Monday to Italian ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta. Five Italians were killed in the weekend air collision over the Hudson River. (Aug. 10)
Hawaii braced for Tropical Storm Felicia, taking no chances even though the storm weakened rapidly as it moved toward the islands. (Aug. 10)
Mid-air collision probed as divers continue search for bodies
In these days of tight budgets, a handful of cities around the country are finding less expensive crime fighting alternatives. The police department in Ripon, California is unveiling a powered parachute aircraft as a new crime fighting tool. (Aug. 10)
Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane was charged with attacking a cab driver in his hometown Sunday, a beating that police said was triggered when the driver did not have 20 cents in change to give the player and his cousin. (Aug. 10)
Husband of deadly wrong-way driver disputes autopsy results
Was midair collision over Hudson River inevitable?
Sights and sounds from 2009 National Air Guitar Championships
The HLN host talks about her new book, "The Eleventh Victim."
The actor, producer, and media world icon talks about his newest movie.
Paul James gained almost 90 pounds to experience what his clients go through.
The bitter divorce battle between Linda and "Hulk" Hogan comes to an end.
"Top Chef" alum cooks naked ravioli and his grandmother's tiramisu.
Rumors swirl around where the former "American Idol" judge will end up next.
Myke Hawke gives practical tips on how to make it out alive in any situation.
Investigators hunt for clues to tragic mid-air collision
A group of about 30 dogs, abandoned in Tennessee, are now ready for adoption in South Florida. The Humane Society got the dogs ready Monday by giving them vaccinations and baths. (Aug. 11)
Investigators hunt for clues to tragicmid-air collision
Town debates housing suspected terrorists from Guantanamo Bay
Hundreds of volunteers line up for a dose of the H1N1 trial vaccine.
Aviation expert John Nance explains when pilots can't see one another.
A provision in health care reform legislation prompts passionate debate.
NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman talks about the unregulated Hudson airspace.
Cash-strapped states are cutting financial aid programs even as they report sharp increases in the number of college students qualifying for help, according to a review by The Associated Press. (Aug. 10)
An Associated Press investigation has uncovered that South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford used state aircraft for personal and political trips. That goes against state law, which says use of the aircraft is only for official business. (Aug. 10)
Ten Southern California prisons remain on lockdown after a massive riot at a medium-security facility east of Los Angeles. The riot involved nearly all 1300 prisoners, and sent 55 prisoners to the hospital. (Aug. 10)
Federal officials say divers have suspended their search of the Hudson River for bodies and debris in the midair collision that killed nine. 7 of the victims have been recovered. The NTSB plans to resume its search efforts Monday morning. (Aug. 9)
Crews lifted the wreckage of a helicopter from the Hudson River on Sunday, and police using sonar located the submerged small plane that had collided with it. Nine people died in the midair crash, and five bodies have been pulled from the water. (Aug. 9)
Shriver is survived by two siblings, her husband, Robert Sargent Shriver Jr., five children, including NBC reporter and California first lady Maria Shriver, and 19 grandchildren.
Family members said Shriver was inspired by her older sister, Rosemary Kennedy, who was mentally handicapped. "Eunice would spend the extra time with Rosemary, teaching her and making sure that she felt included," Shriver's brother, Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., said in a February "Good Morning America" special spotlighting Shriver.
"It was really that spirit that started the Special Olympics," he said. "Eunice is tireless and fearless and reflects a sense of goodness, so it's very difficult for people to say no to Eunice." It was Shriver's goal to attain equality for the mentally challenged, and she believed they could excel despite their handicaps. Her work started in June 1962 with a day camp in Rockville, Md., for the handicapped, where she taught attendees athletics, floor hockey and aquatics. In her book about Special Olympics, "Hearts of Gold," author Sheila Dinn writes: "In the summer of 1962, 100 young people with mental retardation came to Mrs. Shriver's camp to run, swim, play soccer, and ride horses. They enjoyed the camp and loved the sports they learned, and by the end of the summer they were 'faster and stronger' than ever before. The doctors and experts had been wrong!" It was from that camp that the concept of Special Olympics emerged.
Born July 10, 1921, she was the fifth of nine children of Joseph Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.
While she campaigned for her brother John's presidential campaign and was a frequent face in political and social circles around the country, Shriver is best known for her involvement with the Special Olympics and for helping establish the games 40 years ago.
"I love to be with my special friends, and I like to learn from them and their persistence, and their guts, and their courage," Shriver said of her work with athletes with disabilities. "This is the future."
(AP)(AP Photo/Getty Images)
The 64-year-old Nobel Peace laureate has already been in detention for 14 of the last 20 years, mostly under house arrest, and the extension will remove her from the political scene when the junta stages elections next year.
The ruling — which also convicted the American, John Yettaw, and sentenced him to seven years — drew immediate criticism from world leaders, with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling it "monstrous." French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged the European Union to adopt new sanctions, calling the verdict "brutal and unjust."
But the term was less severe than the maximum sentence she faced — five years in prison — and shorter than the one the court initially ordered Tuesday — three years with hard labor. Five minutes after that sentence was read out, Home Minister Maj. Gen. Maung Oo entered the courtroom and read aloud a special order from junta chief Senior Gen. Than Shwe, cutting the sentence in half and saying it could be served at home.
Than Shwe's order, signed Monday, likewise reduced the sentences of Suu Kyi's two female house companions, Khin Khin Win and Win Ma Ma, to 18 months. Both are members of her political party.
The junta leader said he commuted the sentences to "maintain community peace and stability" and because Suu Kyi was the daughter of Aung San, a revered hero who won Myanmar's independence from Britain.
Suu Kyi looked alert but tired during the 90-minute court session. She stood as the verdict was announced and then thanked foreign diplomats for attending her trial."I look forward to working with you in the future for the peace and prosperity of my country and the region," Suu Kyi said in a soft voice to diplomats seated nearby. She then was led out of the courtroom.
Officials said she was driven back to her lakeside villa in a six-car convoy. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the high-profile case.
One of her party members tied yellow ribbons at the gate and two nearby trees as a gesture of welcome. Suu Kyi had been in prison during the trial.
Yettaw — who swam across a lake, entered Suu Kyi's home uninvited and asked to spend two nights before trying to secretly swim back — was sentenced to seven years in prison with hard labor.
Suu Kyi's trial has sparked international outrage and calls for her release and that of Myanmar's more than 2,000 other political prisoners. The sentence sparked angry reaction from across the globe.
"The facade of her prosecution is made more monstrous because its real objective is to sever her bond with the people for whom she is a beacon of hope and resistance," Brown said, calling the verdict a "purely political sentence" aimed at keeping her out of the 2010 elections.
Burma Campaign UK, an activist group, called for a global arms embargo against Myanmar and said the junta was "determined to silence all pro-democracy voices in the country in the run up to rigged elections."
Suu Kyi's international lawyer, New York-based Jared Genser, said her most recent period of detention violated Myanmar's own laws.
"The real question is how the international community will react — will it do more than simply condemn this latest injustice?" he asked.
London-based Amnesty International called the sentence "shameful ... nothing more than legal and political theater."
The 53-year-old Yettaw, of Falcon, Missouri, was returned to Insein prison, the site of the trial, on Monday night after hospitalization for epileptic seizures.
The court sentenced him to three years in prison for breaching Suu Kyi's house arrest. Yettaw was also sentenced to three years in prison for an immigration violation and to another year for swimming in a restricted zone.
Fears surrounding the swine flu vaccine are often attributed to the vaccine for the 1976 swine flu epidemic when a few hundred people came down with Guillain-Barré syndrome after receiving the swine flu vaccine. While the bad publicity led to the halting of the vaccine program after 40 million Americans had received the vaccine, no link has ever been proven between the vaccine and Guillain-Barré. But concerns about what might happen with the vaccines remain, and the addition of adjuvant is likely to add more fuel to the fire. The initial trials of the swine flu vaccine for the United States will be with the unadjuvanted form, while later trials with an adjuvanted form may take place if deemed necessary. "We'll probably be looking at that in a few weeks in case we don't get as good a response with the unadjuvanted vaccine," Fauci said. "We don't plan to start any trials on adjuvants at least until we get a bit into the adjuvanted trials." But concerns about what might happen with the vaccines remain, and the addition of adjuvant is likely to add more fuel to the fire. He said that a mild flu season would likely mean the trials of a vaccine with an adjuvant would not get started. But a swine flu that returned quickly and spread quickly might force their usage. "It's something that we're keeping as a contingency in case we need to use them," Fauci said. "Right now, the main priority is to test the unadjuvanted vaccine." Should an adjuvant be needed, however, Fauci said there is little question that it would be safe. "We're more cautious than when we use something that we've used every year for decades," he said, noting, however, "the Europeans have used these same adjuvants for a long period of time with a … reasonable safety record." But if adjuvants were to be used, they would likely be used in older people, where they have been tested, rather than children. "There's not a lot of data on adjuvants in young kids -- even from the Europeans," Fauci said.
Officials do not expect a shortage of swine flu vaccine. "We don't anticipate that we will run out, but it's possible," Fauci said. But while Americans may not face a shortage, Fedson said that not using adjuvants is a problem from an international perspective, although it makes getting the vaccine approved in the United States easier. "From the regulator point of view, this will be the least onerous pathway to follow to get it approved," he said. "I think that's the path of easy regulatory approval, but whether it meets the public health needs of the world and the nation is another matter." The problem, he said, is that the concerns for approval are for the individual. But even if the United States has enough, failure to use adjuvants means that doses for developing countries -- who don't have their own vaccine production capacity -- are unavailable. Even more, said Fedson, because the swine flu virus has not been experienced by many Americans, they will need two doses of vaccine instead of one to develop immunity. Describing the distribution methods for swine flu vaccine "a boutique approach to global public health," Fedson called them "an approach which will not make much difference for the people in 90 percent of the world, who will not have access to vaccines or antivirals."Good Domestic Public Health, Bad International Public Health?
