Region

Getting legislative priorities in order

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:51 a.m.

This session of the Indiana General Assembly promises to be a busy session. By law, the legislative work this spring must end by March 14, but already more than 500 bills have been filed. Some of the bills are urgent matters worthy of time, money and the public debate; many are not. Indiana Republicans, who control both chambers of the General Assembly and the governor's office, are on the front line of the agenda. The details of many of their proposals have not been made public, and much of the debate in the closely divided Indiana House of Representatives might hinge on those details. So far, though, the skeletal outline of what House Republicans wish to pursue this legislative session looks at least promising.

Congessmen Blunt, Boehner vie for Majority Leadership, claim progress

By Alyson Brodsy and Andrew Taylor · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:46 a.m.

WASHINGTON - Reps. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and John Boehner, R-Ohio, rivals in the race to succeed Majority Leader Tom DeLay, both claimed progress Monday and released the names of supporters to prove it. The two men maneuvered for support as Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia claimed the votes needed to move up the leadership ladder when elections are held early next month. "He has 140 firm commitments for majority whip," said Cantor's spokesman, Rob Collins. He declined to provide a list.

Dow Jones tops 11,000 as blue chip stocks continue to rally

By Alyson Brodsy and Christopher Wang · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:45 a.m.

NEW YORK -- The Dow Jones industrial average crossed 11,000 Monday for the first time since before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, buoyed by a rally that has sent stock prices soaring through the first five sessions of 2006. Wall Street's best known stock indicator rose as high as 11,020.15 by mid-afternoon, the first time since June 13, 2001, that the index of 30 blue chip stocks traded above 11,000. It last closed above that milestone on June 7, 2001, when it stood at 11,090.74.

Iraqi police search for kidnapped American journalist following weekend abduction

By Alyson Brodsy and Patrick Quinn · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:44 a.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraqi police were searching Monday for an American journalist who was kidnapped during the weekend when gunmen ambushed her car and killed her translator in western Baghdad. Jill Carroll, 28, a freelance reporter on assignment for The Christian Science Monitor, was seized Saturday in the al-Adel area, a Sunni Arab neighborhood and one of the capital's most dangerous. Police said she went there to meet a Sunni Arab politician. Gen. Mahdi al-Gharawi, commander of the Interior Ministry's public order forces, said Monday an investigation was under way.

Congress opens Alito Supreme Court nomination hearings

By Alyson Brodsy and Jesse J. Holland · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:43 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito said Monday that judges should operate free of any agenda or preferred outcome as the Senate opened hearings on President Bush's choice for the high court. "A judge can't have any agenda. A judge can't have a preferred outcome in any case," Alito told the Senate Judiciary Committee in a brief statement in which he made the distinction between judges and attorneys working for clients. In a prelude to days of grilling, several Democrats expressed misgivings about Alito's 15 years of decisions and opinions as an appellate judge and his writings during his tenure as a lawyer in the Reagan Justice Department.

NASA to return first comet samples

By Alyson Brodsy and Alicia Chang · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:41 a.m.

LOS ANGELES -- Comets have long lit up the sky and the imaginations of scientists. Now these icy bodies from the beginnings of the solar system are finally ready for their close-up. Six months after NASA scientists first peeked inside one comet from afar, they're bringing pieces of another to Earth for study under the microscope. This weekend, the Stardust spacecraft will jettison a 100-pound capsule holding comet dust. It will nosedive through the Earth's atmosphere and, if all goes well, make a soft landing in the Utah desert.

Bayh: Next 6 months critical in Iraq

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:36 a.m.

U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., making his second trip to Iraq, said Saturday that the next six months are crucial to Iraq's stability, and hinge largely on relations between its divided religious and ethnic groups. The Indiana Democrat, who is on a fact-finding trip through the Middle East with three other federal lawmakers, arrived in Baghdad on Saturday. He spoke to reporters by telephone after meeting with U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. intelligence officials and having lunch with troops.

House agenda announced

By Alyson Brodsy and Mike Smith · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:35 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Property tax relief for homeowners, more tax incentives for businesses and giving local governments options to consolidate are part of a lengthy agenda announced Monday by majority House Republicans. The proposals also include attempts to steer more dollars to classroom instruction, moving statewide testing to the spring, and a bipartisan commission to recommend how legislative districts would be redrawn in the future.

Recruitment culminates with Bid Day as students find new homes in greek system, meet new sisters

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:28 a.m.

It happens every January. This year, 1,440 women cut their winter breaks short and returned to campus early in hopes of landing a bid to a sorority of their choice. This year's rush began with First Invite on Wednesday and commenced with Bid Day on Sunday as potential greeks visited houses, made friends and shared both laughter and tears, elation and disappointment.

COAS begins 2 new majors

By Zachary Osterman and Zach Osterman · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:27 a.m.

The IU College of Arts and Sciences has added two new Bachelor of Sciences degrees, human biology and biotechnology. Biotechnology has been offered as an intended major since fall 2004, meaning students could declare it as their major. The earliest expected graduation date for anyone majoring in the field is May 2008 because upper-level required courses will be offered beginning in fall 2006.

Student loans break the bank

By Alyson Brodsy and Amy Wolff · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:18 a.m.

Senior Brittany Ivy was worried about how she was going to pay for college at IU. "My parents hadn't set aside any money to pay for college so I had to decide on my own how I was going to pay for it," she said. When she started attending IU, Ivy said she realized housing was one of the biggest expenses, so she became a Residential Adviser, which provides free housing. But the cost of tuition, books and the "million other fees" of attending IU required her to take out a Stafford loan.

The difference between failing and giving up

By Alyson Brodsy and David Weisburd · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:16 a.m.

There is a subtle difference between failing and giving up that most people do not comprehend. Most people fear ending up as complete failures. There is not such a fear when it comes to giving up because it is a voluntary action people control. When people give up, they tell themselves, "I can always do it later," one of the many subtle lies people tell themselves.

Howard Stern returns to airwaves with promise of strippers, moderate cursing

By Alyson Brodsy and Erin Carlson · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:02 a.m.

NEW YORK -- Howard Stern began his new satellite radio show Monday by putting to rest rumors that he got married to his longtime girlfriend, model Beth Ostrosky. "I am not married. It's a nice feeling that we get along great. We're very happy and I don't want to (blank) it up," said Stern, who is finally free of government decency laws on Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. Stern has promised everything from stripper poles to live sex on his new show.

IU Auditorium offers eclectic season

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Jan. 10,2006 12:01 a.m.

The IU Auditorium has something for everyone, from dog lovers to Scottish bagpipe fans this spring. Students can obtain tickets for all shows at discounted rates with a student ID at the box office inside the auditorium or online at www.iuauditorium.com.

'Phantom' outlasts 'Cats' as Broadway's longest-running

By Alyson Brodsy and Michael Kuchwara · Monday, Jan. 9,2006 11:59 p.m.

NEW YORK -- Broadway has a new long-run champion: "The Phantom of the Opera." Andrew Lloyd Webber's lushly romantic musical about a haunted, disfigured composer pining for a beautiful young soprano in the Paris Opera House, was set to surpass "Cats" Monday as the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Pats advance to Denver, Steelers to play Colts

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Jan. 9,2006 12:18 a.m.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady, Willie McGinest and the New England Patriots outclassed Jacksonville, setting an NFL record with 10 straight postseason victories and sending a warning to the rest of the league. Watch out, the Patriots look like champions again.

Say 'no' to Cheap Monday

By Alyson Brodsy and Christina Galoozis · Monday, Jan. 9,2006 12:15 a.m.

Not many news stories come out of Sweden. So when I actually saw one prominently displayed in the business section of my local newspaper, I was interested to see what the Swedes were up to. Here's the disheartening news: The Swedes are up to no good.

Around the game

By Alyson Brodsy · Monday, Jan. 9,2006 12:14 a.m.

The IU men's track team opened its season Saturday at Gladstein Fieldhouse at the Hoosier Open and for the first time tested the facility's new surface, a 200-meter banked track. IU junior sprinter David Neville opened the day in thrilling fashion as he raced out to a personal best and a victory in the 400-meter sprint. Neville's time of 46.67 undercut his previous mark, which he set Dec. 12, 2005.

When will 'it' arrive?

By Alyson Brodsy and Larry Walters · Monday, Jan. 9,2006 12:13 a.m.

It began in 2001 in the Netherlands. Then in 2003, it happened in Belgium. In June and July of 2005, Spain and Canada joined the ranks, respectively. It happened last month in England, and starting this year, South Africa will also be counted as one of the few.

A pleasant surprise

By Ryan Phillips · Monday, Jan. 9,2006 12:12 a.m.

OK, let's all just admit it now. We were expecting the Hoosiers to find a way to lose Saturday's game against undefeated Ohio State. As the clock ticked down to the final buzzer, everyone in Assembly Hall was waiting for the other shoe to drop and for IU to find a way to blow the game. We've become accustomed to this song and dance throughout the last three seasons. It's just how things operate. The Hoosiers play tough and end up falling just short when they play good teams.