Region

Poll: Bush leads Kerry

By Hina Alam · Wednesday, April 7,2004 1:35 a.m.

If the presidential election were to be held today, George W. Bush would win in Indiana over Democratic nominee John Kerry by a 52 to 37 percent margin. According to a poll conducted between March 22 and 24 by Bellwether Research and Consulting of Alexandra, Va. for the Indiana Manufacturers Political Action Committee and recently released by the Indiana Manufacturers Association, only 35 percent view Kerry favorably while 55 percent view Bush favorably. The poll surveyed 604 likely voters.

Around The World

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 7,2004 1:27 a.m.

Government being sued by ACLU for 'No-Fly' list WASHINGTON, D.C. -- American Civil Liberties Union's officials declined to comment in advance of their planned announcement Tuesday they would file a class-action lawsuit challenging the list of travelers the government has barred from flying because they're considered a threat. The civil rights group is representing seven plaintiffs.

2 TV crews held hostage by inmates

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 7,2004 1:24 a.m.

QUITO, Ecuador -- In the midst of a national strike by prison guards, inmates in Quito's women's prison took two television news crews hostage Tuesday to press their demands for shorter sentences and better living conditions.

Violence against U.S. spreads to several Iraqi cities

By Alyson Brodsy and Hamza Hendawi · Wednesday, April 7,2004 1:23 a.m.

NAJAF, Iraq -- Insurgents and rebellious Shiites mounted a string of attacks across Iraq's Shiite south and U.S. Marines launched a major assault on the turbulent Sunni city of Fallujah Tuesday. Up to a dozen Marines, two more coalition soldiers and at least 66 Iraqis were reported killed.

IU tennis club stresses fitness, fun exercise

By Ryan Corazza · Wednesday, April 7,2004 1:13 a.m.

Out on the Student Recreational Sports Center's tennis courts this spring, you won't find the Williams sisters, Anna Kournikova or Andy Roddick. Instead, members of the IU tennis club will be out on the courts polishing their skills.

IU endures tough loss to Ball State

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 7,2004 1:12 a.m.

If the Hoosiers (23-19, 0-2) were frustrated with their play going into the game against Ball State (9-20), then they won't be happy with their play Tuesday afternoon. IU traveled to Ball State to take on the Cardinals but fell short, losing the game 2-1. In the top of the sixth inning, freshman Tory Yamaguchi singled, scoring freshman Kim Richards. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cardinals took the lead as freshman Taylor Yancey doubled, driving in two runs.

Waldthaler, Woolley named player of the week in CWPA

By Matt Ostrega · Wednesday, April 7,2004 1:12 a.m.

Coming off a solid regular season and looking ahead toward the postseason, the No. 11 Hoosiers have a lot to be excited about. In the past couple weeks, a number of Hoosiers have stepped up and had a helping hand as they got rolling into the Collegiate Water Polo Association Divisionals. Most notably, junior Kandace Waldthaler and freshman Kara Woolley have given IU a boost in recent weeks, as they turned in superb performances each of the last two weekends of competition.

Club racqueting toward the top

By Andrew Smith · Wednesday, April 7,2004 1:11 a.m.

Despite being on campus since 1972, the IU badminton club has found it hard to increase membership. But through combined efforts of current President Qin "Arthur" Zhu, former Vice President Hin "Eric" Tsoi, as well as current Vice President Feng-Ru Sheu, the club has begun to prosper. With the addition of a Web site -- www.iub.edu/~badmin -- and the annual IU Badminton Open, the club has attracted attention from a variety of IU students.

My shining moments on the tournament

By Dan Cohen and Daniel Cohen · Wednesday, April 7,2004 1:11 a.m.

How am I expected to write about a national championship game during which I fell asleep ... twice! Alright, it may have been the tryptophan the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center loaded in my turkey last night, but come on, for a tournament that saw both Final Four games come down to the end, the finale was nothing more then a dominating lull in which Georgia Tech never had a chance.

In-state rivals duel for win

By Cory Steger · Wednesday, April 7,2004 1:09 a.m.

IU is taking a small break from the rigorous Big Ten schedule to face in-state rival Indiana State. The Hoosiers (18-9, 2-2 Big Ten) are looking for another tune-up before the heavy stretch of Big Ten play resumes this weekend.

Discrimination remains an issue at IU

By Hina Alam · Wednesday, April 7,2004 1:01 a.m.

Sophomore Nadia Chaudhry will never forget her first encounter in Bloomington when she landed here in late 2002. A member of her study group from a class asked her which country she was from. "Pakistan," she said. "You're lucky," the student replied. "If you were from Afghanistan, I would have killed you." Even now, when Chaudhry speaks about it, she shudders.

Black-only awards end at 2 colleges

By Alyson Brodsy and Lynn Franey · Wednesday, April 7,2004 12:59 a.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Washington University in St. Louis announced Friday it will open a black-student scholarship program to applicants of all races, after federal officials encouraged the move earlier this week. St. Louis University, which civil rights investigators also visited this week, also has opened a similar scholarship program to applicants of all races.

Senator pleads guilty to failing to pay sales tax, keeps Senate seat

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 7,2004 12:18 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A state senator from East Chicago pleaded guilty Tuesday to failing to pay sales taxes. Sen. Sam Smith, a Democrat, will be allowed to retain his seat in the Indiana Senate because the charge was not a felony.

Eli Lilly gives $6 million after settling recipient's patent lawsuit

By Alyson Brodsy and Mark Jewell · Wednesday, April 7,2004 12:17 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A medical research foundation that settled a $100 million drug patent lawsuit against Eli Lilly and Co. a year ago found itself on the receiving end of a $6 million gift from the drug maker Tuesday, with past harsh words replaced by mutual praise. The money to create two endowed faculty chairs in biomedical research is the largest gift in the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation's 58-year history, said Adam Cohen, director of legal and public affairs.

Police continue search for missing Lafayette woman

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 7,2004 12:17 a.m.

DARLINGTON, Ind. -- Police resumed a search of a rural area of Montgomery County Tuesday but found no trace of a missing Lafayette woman, police said. Sabrina Commons, 32, has been missing since Saturday, the day police found her abandoned sport utility vehicle in a ditch at the end of a dead-end county road just outside Darlington, about 20 miles south of Lafayette.

Around The Arts

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 7,2004 12:12 a.m.

NEW YORK -- Stories of oppression both home and abroad were rewarded with Pulitzer Prizes Monday. Edward P. Jones won the fiction prize for "The Known World," a novel about a black slave owner.

You had to be there

By Andrew Welfe and Andrew Welfle · Wednesday, April 7,2004 12:11 a.m.

The mark of a great comedy troupe is the oddity in its brand of humor. Sure, the latest scandals in Washington, D.C., and Hollywood make great material to get audiences to yuk it up, but to truly make an impression on the average Joe's mind, one must not be afraid to be odd.

Jazz treasure to visit IU

By Adam Van Osdol and Adam VanOsdol · Wednesday, April 7,2004 12:10 a.m.

Herbie Hancock, one of the greatest composers in jazz history, brings an acoustic band tonight to the IU Auditorium for his first-ever concert in Bloomington. Hancock, a pianist, has recorded some of the most memorable songs in jazz history, including "Canteloupe Island," "Watermelon Man" and "Chameleon."

Muzzling Muqtada

By Chris Hintz · Wednesday, April 7,2004 12:08 a.m.

In the words of that wise man, Donald Rumsfeld, "freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things. They're also free to live their lives and do wonderful things, and that's what's going to happen here." According to the U.S. State Department Web site, www.state.gov, that is what he had to say about the chaos immediately following the fall of Saddam, as Iraqis claimed their freedom about one year ago.

News worth reading

By Brian Matzke · Wednesday, April 7,2004 12:07 a.m.

Every morning when I wake up, the very first thing I do is turn on my computer. The second thing I do -- after spending a moment waiting for both my computer and my own still groggy mind to boot up -- is click on Internet Explorer to check the news headlines. The third thing I do is note the anxious breath I inadvertently take in that half-second between the time I have clicked and The New York Times Web site has loaded on my computer screen.