Region

On offense against offensiveness

Wednesday afternoon, king-sized snowflakes fell from the Bloomington sky. Standing in the snow by the Sample Gates were 20 or so Hispanic students and their supporters, holding up signs and protesting in silence. The snowflakes were big, but not as big as the chip on the collective shoulder of the IU Hispanic community.

Date auction unites Latinos

"Give me five dollars" was the name of the game last night in the Indiana Memorial Union Gallery. Latinos Unidos held a date auction to raise money for an annual athletic event and to raise cultural awareness towards the Latino community at IU.

Social insecurity

Last week the President told us the state of our union is "confident and strong." What he neglected to mention was that it was Opposite Day at the White House, and the definition of "confident" was "blindly arrogant," and "strong" really meant "crashing and burning."

State employee charged with theft

FORT WAYNE -- A former high school employee has been charged with stealing almost $34,000 from school accounts in 2002 and 2003.

Legislation introduced to reimburse active soldiers

EVANSVILLE -- When duty called him to Afghanistan, Dr. Anthony Carter closed his family medical practice in the tiny Kentucky town of Tompkinsville and laid off his 10 employees.

RPS: Really Poor Service

Residential Programs and Services sucks. As far as I can see, the entire meal system is designed to produce large quantities of cash for the University, which it does very well. This money comes from the students, though, and given what they're getting in return, students are getting screwed.

Love diversity this February

Throughout this month, there are a variety of opportunities for IU students of all races to participate in Black History Month -- from art fairs to lectures to drum beatings and many other events at the Neal-Marshall Black Cultural Center and around campus.

Car bomb misses U.S. military convoy

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A car bomb detonated by remote control exploded Thursday in Baghdad, killing two Iraqis but missing a U.S. military convoy as insurgent violence claimed more than 50 lives. Clashes between Iraqi police and rebels erupted along a major highway southeast of the capital.

Chicago hip-hop finds its stars in the underground scene

CHICAGO -- Before Kanye West and Twista shot to the top of the charts last year, their hometown's hip-hop scene was an unknown underground of artists with huge local followings but no quick route to the national stage.

Senate approves measure to limit class action lawsuits

WASHINGTON -- The Senate approved a measure Thursday to help shield businesses from major class action lawsuits like the ones that have been brought against tobacco companies, giving President Bush the first legislative victory of his second term. Under the legislation, long sought by big business, large multistate class action lawsuits could no longer be heard in small state courts. Such courts have handed out multimillion-dollar verdicts.

Chicago playwright brings the 'HEAT'

Community members seeking shelter from the freezing winter chill can hibernate underneath the yellow-orange glow and warmth of stage lights. In celebration of Black History Month, the Bloomington Playwrights Project is performing the play "HEAT," written by Chicago-native Marsha Estell and directed by New York resident Anita Gonzalez, at 8 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, until Feb. 26 at the BPP, 312 S. Washington St..

Abbas fires top Gaza security commanders

JERUSALEM -- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas fired top Gaza security commanders Thursday, Palestinian officials said, hours after militants fired dozens of mortar shells and homemade rockets at Jewish settlements there, breaking a 2-day-old cease-fire.

Prince Charles plans to wed Camilla Parker Bowles

LONDON -- Prince Charles said Thursday he will marry his divorced lover Camilla Parker Bowles in April, putting an official seal on a long romance that Princess Diana blamed for the breakdown of her tempestuous marriage to the heir to the throne. The announcement ruled out the possibility that she would become queen.

Bush to request $950 million for relief effort

WASHINGTON -- President Bush said Wednesday he is asking Congress for $950 million to support victims of last year's devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean, more than doubling the U.S. pledge.

Velvet, rich color dominate runways, capture fall 2005

Please don't embarrass yourself, De Niro

Ben Affleck wants you to forget about "Gigli." He wants that entry to be erased on www.imdb.com. He wants you to remember him for "Good Will Hunting," "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma."

House loan bill up for renewal

A bill in the Indiana House of Representatives, which could affect student loan consolidation, has come up for debate once again. House Resolution 507 seeks to renew the Higher Education Act of 1967 with certain legislative action and several revisions to offset government costs. The provision to the resolution would prevent borrowers of federal loans from being able to secure a low, fixed interest rate if the bill is passed.

Greenspan: Athletics fee will not be raised

Late Wednesday afternoon, Athletics Director Rick Greenspan went in front of the Committee on Fee Review and said he would not ask for a fee increase during renewal hearings of the mandatory $30 student athletics fee. He also said students would not receive tangible services in return, comparable to those of the transportation fee or the legal services fee.

Student leaders look past platforms

Hundreds of guidelines and policies affect the IU community of more than 36,000 students. As IU Student Association election season begins, candidates scramble to represent the student voice in the formation of these rules.

The man behind the melee

Growing up in Queensbridge, N.Y., Indiana Pacer Ron Artest had a bully. As funny as it seems, the NBA All-Star, famous for his brawl in Detroit, would get picked on every day. And even more ironic is the fact that Ron wouldn't fight back. "Ron was always really different," said Sarah Artest, Ron's mother, who now lives in Carmel, Ind. "He was always very laid-back. He might have gotten into a fight, but it took a lot to make him fight."