IUSA

9 U.S. troops killed in western Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Four American troops were killed by hostile fire, while five others died and three were missing after their truck rolled over in a flash flood this weekend in separate incidents in western Iraq, the military said Monday. In violence targeting Iraqis, a suicide truck bomb exploded Monday near a Shiite mosque in northeastern Baghdad as worshippers were leaving after evening prayers, killing at least 10 people and wounding 30, police said. The U.S. military said it was "using all the resources available" to find the two Marines and a sailor who were missing after Sunday's accident, which occurred near the Asad air base in Anbar, near the Syrian border.

Jury: Sept. 11 conspirator is eligible for capital punishment

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- A federal jury found al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui eligible Monday to be executed, deciding that his lies to FBI agents led directly to at least one death in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "You'll never get my blood, God curse you all," Moussaoui said afterward. He sat in his chair and prayed silently as the verdict was read. The only person to face charges in this country in the nation's worst terrorist assault, Moussaoui now faces a second phase of his sentencing trial to determine if he actually will be put to death. That phase is set to begin Thursday morning.

Storms, tornadoes kill at least 27 in Midwest

NEWBERN, Tenn. -- Thunderstorms packing tornadoes and hail as big as softballs ripped through eight states, killing at least 27 people, injuring scores of others and destroying hundreds of homes in the South and Midwest on Sunday. Tennessee was hit hardest, with tornadoes striking five western counties Sunday and killing 23 people. Most of the deaths were along a 25-mile path stretching from Newbern, about 80 miles northeast of Memphis, to Bradford, officials said. The Highway Patrol sent teams with search dogs to the area Monday to check for survivors in what remained of damaged homes and businesses.

STORM

Stabbing results in arrest

Bloomington police arrested Bloomington resident Randy D. Butcher Saturday evening on preliminary charges of aggravated battery and possession of a controlled substance after he allegedly stabbed a man in the stomach. Bloomington Police Department officers met with a 24-year-old man in the Bloomington Hospital emergency room Saturday afternoon who was being treated for stab wounds, said BPD Detective Sgt. David Drake, reading from the police report. The man reported that he had visited a residence on South Rockport Road earlier that day, where he got into an argument with a woman in the apartment.

Local doughnut shop fills hole in stomach

For decades, doughnuts have been a staple food for Americans, though often hidden in the shadow of apple pie. Yet these sticky slices of heaven have become big business, as companies like Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts have seen their revenues surpass $500 million each, for a combined $1.3 billion in 2005, according to the companies' Web sites. Despite the daunting presence of these large companies, small doughnut shops still manage to find their way into the business landscape. With a 40-year history in the Bloomington area, Cresent Donut Shop has maintained its niche in the community, despite increased competition from the larger companies.

Informatics program compares Google results in different countries

Google is not unique to America, but the version Americans use is. The School of Informatics created a program to visually contrast search engines such as Google and Yahoo! and their results in different countries, said Filippo Menczer, associate professor at the School of Informatics. Results might vary because of censorship laws, and the same keywords will not necessarily yield the same results in any two countries. With the program, Chinese search engines can be accessed with American versions simultaneously, and results from both can be displayed on a computer screen. Menczer, along with computer science student Mark Meiss, developed the program, CenSEARCHip.

Board of trustees to hold tuition forum Wednesday

Exhibit in Wells Library features Nobel Peace Prize laureates

In the east tower of the Herman B Wells Library, 45 free-standing panels celebrate Nobel Peace Prize laureates. The exhibit covers honorees from 1901, beginning with Frederic Passy, to 2005, ending with Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The exhibit was put together by IU's Center for the Study of Global Change. Kenneth Steuer, associate director of the center, said each featured laureate has a strong tie to the League of Nations or the United Nations.

Freshman finds niche at campus TV station

Many freshmen find it difficult sifting through all the opportunities available to them once they step foot on campus, but one student took little time finding her niche with television at IU. A freshman, Kaylyn Easton recently was named executive director for IU's television station. She currently works as an office assistant, reporter for the news team and weekly anchor for IU Student Television. She will begin work as the executive director next fall. Easton said on paper her current office assistant position requires between 10 and 12 hours each week. With that and her other responsibilities at the station, she said she spends between 20 and 30 hours per week at the station. "I get to spend hours each day doing what I love," she said. "It's a big passion of mine."

Young adults, minorities top cell phone users

WASHINGTON -- Young adults and minorities are leading a revolution in how Americans use their cell phones. People from age 18 to 29 and minorities are more likely to use their phones as personal computers, digital music players, cameras and more, an AP-AOL-Pew poll found. "We've got everything on my phone," said Mark Madsen, a 24-year-old college student from Chattanooga, Tenn. "I use it mostly for the phone, but I also play video games and use the MP3 player. I pretty much use it all the time."

Company plays music promotion game

In a brown warehouse-like building near the railroad tracks on Allen Street, one would hardly expect to find an eclectic mix of thousands of compact discs and diverse musical instruments from all over the world. But that is exactly what is found in suite 137. That office houses Rock Paper Scissors, a company that publicizes and markets world music and reggae labels in the United States for clients around the world. Dmitri Vietze owns the business and tries to overlap music and culture to help people understand different cultures through the world of music. Rock Paper Scissors serves a niche market in the music industry. The company caters to journalists who are considering coverage of its clients, clients who are looking for publicity success and music fans looking for new and old sounds from around the globe, according to the company's Web site. It is not uncommon for Vietze and his three employees to talk to clients in France, Germany, Spain and India on any given day.

POLKA

Artifacts

Down with hate

Very shortly after the hiring of the new IU basketball coach, I came upon a Web site that was titled very clearly, "FIRE KELVIN SAMPSON." This might be the swiftest judgment of a new figure in IU's history. It might be because of certain minor recruiting infractions attached to the coach or the low graduation rate of his players. Maybe it's because no one will ever be Bobby Knight. Maybe a great many people just can't stand the man's name. Who names their kid Kelvin anyway?

Culture of cleanliness

After weeks at No. 1, "High School Musical" has finally relinquished its title as top-selling album in the nation. To which everyone older than age 12 asks, "What the hell is 'High School Musical?'" Well, "High School Musical" is the most popular Disney Channel original movie ever. It's the first full-length film ever to be sold on iTunes. Its soundtrack has unleashed six top 100 singles and a platinum album.

Living legally

For once, I'm agreeing with President Bush on something. Immigration has long been a hot-button issue, but it's on the front page now because of legislation currently being considered. In December, the House passed HR 4437, which proposes to build 700 miles of wall between the United States and Mexico and make assisting an illegal immigrant (even in a humanitarian way) a felony. It provides no provisions to create a guest-worker program or a path to legalization for illegal immigrants. Another bill, sponsored by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and pending in the Senate, would create a path to legal status for the estimated 10 million to 12 million illegal immigrants currently in the United States.

The importance of the 'checked box'

Tragedy strikes. An unidentified man comes out of the shadows of a campus building and sexually assaults a woman on her walk home from the library. Elsewhere, tragedy of a different kind strikes. Grief-stricken parents and siblings from Maine to Montana discover their children have fallen ill with leukemia and will need intensive treatments.

Online only: Thousands in Bloomington still without power after Sunday storm

About 3,600 Bloomington residents were still without power Monday afternoon from a storm that swept through Bloomington Sunday night, downing trees and closing roads.

The 300 CLUB

With a 5-2 win over Wisconsin on Sunday, the No. 26 IU women's tennis team propelled coach Lin Loring to his 300th Big Ten victory. The benchmark puts Loring in the company of legends. Former basketball coach Bob Knight and former baseball coach Bob Morgan are the only other coaches in IU history to have achieved 300 conference victories. Loring said the milestone was a reflection of the hard work of many people over the course of his 29 years at IU.