Region

Israel holds Syria responsible for suicide bombings, official says

JERUSALEM -- Israel holds Syria responsible for a double suicide bombing that killed 16 people, a senior Israeli official said Wednesday in a warning that implied possible retaliation. The militant Islamic group Hamas claimed the attack Tuesday in the desert city of Beersheba, when two bombers from the West Bank city of Hebron blew themselves up seconds apart in two buses.

From The Floor

Youth Convention sparks controversy NEW YORK -- The Bush sisters, actress Angie Harmon, St. Louis Rams defensive back Jason Sehorn and MTV's "Stand Up and Holla!" winner Princella Price were among the many who addressed the crowd Wednesday afternoon at the Youth Convention at the Republican National Convention.

SPEA research parodied

When Ronald Hites, professor at the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, recently reported high levels of man-made, flame-retardant chemicals in farm-raised salmon, few saw benefits for consumers. But satirist Harry Shearer, known as the voice of Mr. Burns and others on "The Simpsons," suggested a way to exploit a salmon's flame-resistant properties in a parody that aired on his radio show, "Le Show," and National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

Hoosier to miss season

All-American, All-Big Ten, U.S. Under-21 participant, second all-time leading scorer, all-time assists leader and team co-captain Kayla Bashore will not be playing this year for the Hoosiers. The acclaimed field hockey star will be redshirting for the season as she prepares to take the MCAT test for entrance into medical school. "It feels like the right thing to do. This year has already taught me a lot," Bashore said of her season on the sidelines.

Militants hold Russian school, children hostage

BELSAN, Russia -- More than a dozen militants wearing suicide-bomb belts seized a southern Russian school in a region bordering Chechnya Wednesday, taking hostage about 400 people -- half of them children -- and threatening to blow up the building if police storm it. As many as eight people have been reported killed, one of them a student's parent.

Sophomore leads by example

It was the Illinois high school championship soccer game, and Jed Zayner, a young back who accepted nothing but the best, knew victory was within his grasp. The seconds counted down in the final half, and once his team finally captured the title, he was more than anxious to celebrate this accomplishment with his teammates.

Hoosier garners Big Ten award

IU women's soccer senior Kim Grodek was recently named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week. The honor comes as no surprise to her teamates since the Hoosier midfielder scored five goals and tallied an assist in a single weekend of competition in which the Hoosiers brought home the Milwaukee Cup championship.

The right time

'Black Woodstock' documentary to hold broadcast premiere on PBS

LOS ANGELES -- On Aug. 20, 1972, seven years after the urban upheaval in Watts, some 112,000 people came together for a daylong concert that would become known as the "Black Woodstock." They filled Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to hear performances by Isaac Hayes, Albert King, the Staple Singers, Rufus and Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays, and more.

Prosecutors drop Kobe Bryant case; Civil action still pending against Lakers star

EAGLE, Colo. -- The criminal case against Kobe Bryant case collapsed Wednesday as prosecutors said they had no choice but to drop the sexual assault charge because the NBA star's accuser no longer wanted to participate. Bryant, whose trial had been days from opening arguments, responded with an apology to the woman who had accused him and whose civil suit for damages is still pending.

Mr. Morley blitzkriegs Europe, Part 2

We traversed the French plains to the center of Bohemian life -- gay Paris. The first thing most people envision when they think of Paris is the Eiffel Tower. Built in 1889, it is still the tallest structure in Paris and was the tallest in the world until the Empire State Building was constructed.

Freedom as propaganda

After Rudy Giuliani's speech Tuesday night, a PBS reporter on the convention floor asked a woman from Iowa 's delegation what she found effective about Giuliani's speech. Her first answer was a gloss over the oratorical greatness of the former mayor. Luckily, the reporter pushed deeper and asked what "specifically" did he say that struck her. Smiling and clapping in cadence with each word, she answered "Freedom, freedom, freedom!"

Around The Arts

Bluegrass award winner plays at Buskirk-Chumley Bluegrass music's four-time Female Vocalist of the Year Rhonda Vincent will perform 8 p.m. Saturday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Vincent began performing with her parents' bluegrass band when she was 3 years old and appeared on their local television show when she was 5 years old. Before she reached her teen years, she had performed with several house bands.

Perfecting the most important meal of the day

Because of the small percentage of restaurants in Bloomington open during the morning hours, a good breakfast in this town is a precious commodity. The Runcible Spoon, a Bloomington staple since 1976 that changed ownership in 2001, gives the most important meal of the day plenty of justice. There is no substitute for co-owner and chef Matt O'Neil's grainy made-from-scratch pancakes, accented with an ever-so-slight hint of cinnamon and topped with pure maple syrup.

IU's art administration masters program offers hands-on experience in management to participating students

Behind the scenes of every great opera, Broadway production or museum exhibit, someone is pulling the right strings to make the event happen. Beyond the costumes, make-up and lights, someone sits calculating ticket sales and strategizing audience development and marketing techniques. Without the arts administrators who work diligently behind the scenes, none of what is seen on a stage or in a gallery could be possible.

Guardsmen to train at state base

The Muscatatuck State Development Center in Jennings County will be a site for national homeland security training and an agricultural research project for Purdue University under a plan released Wednesday. Gov. Joe Kernan announced an agreement earlier this week to use the buildings and land for civilian and military agencies to begin training next summer.

Chipotle comes to Kirkwood

The Kirkwood McDonald's was once a place to enjoy a quick meal and to meet friends or family. Then the restaurant closed its doors, boarded up the windows and turned off the lights for good, leaving only the picnic tables in the front.

Hot line hot-tips for Indiana kids

The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology will kick off another year of its toll-free math and science homework hot line Sunday. At 7 p.m. the hot line, 1-877-ASK-ROSE, will start its 14th year of providing tutoring to Indiana's sixth through 12th graders. Susan Smith, the hot line's founder and director, said as math and science standards in schools increase, the hot line is trying to continues to provide assistance.

College football season returns for Labor Day weekend

For the college football fan who can never get enough, this weekend is for you. With the NFL season a week away, college football has practically taken over Labor Day weekend. Games begin Thursday night and continue through Monday night.

Rock it, Rap it, Vote or Die

I will not "Rock the Vote" this year. And you know why? It's because "rocking" the vote is so 1990, and on top of that, I'm more of a hip-hop kind of chick. Sure, I thought -- whatever, I'll just "Rap the Vote" with Alicia Keys and Cornell West instead. But before I could get online to register, I found myself at a dead-end on the information highway. The Web site was down.