Longform

Back in Gold and Black

By John Wustrow · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 11:52 p.m.

All week long, IU women's basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack avoided questions about Sharon Versyp. She was trying to keep her team focused on Iowa, not Versyp, the former IU and current Purdue head coach. After Thursday's 71-67 loss against the Hawkeyes, Legette-Jack still wasn't ready to look ahead to the Boilermakers. "It's a 24-hour window," Legette-Jack said. "(Friday) we're going to get back to work. We'll start working on ourselves for a day, and then we'll start thinking about Purdue maybe Saturday." The Hoosiers (13-5, 2-3 ) travel to West Lafayette on Sunday to take on the No. 13 Boilermakers (15-3, 4-1) and their former coach, who left IU after one season to take the coaching job with her alma mater.

Man shoots 4 in Indianapolis workplace

By Alexandra R. Moses and Rick Callahan · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 10:11 p.m.

A man who faces attempted murder charges in the Thursday morning shootings of four co-workers at a plant that employs mostly disabled people told police he fired at them over issues of "respect."

Around the World

Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 9:53 p.m.

Six Flags Inc., will sell seven of its 30 North American parks for $312 million. The company said the sale is part of its strategy to reduce debt and enhance its operational and financial flexibility.

U.S.-led forces detain Iranians in Iraq

Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 9:51 p.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S.-led multinational forces detained six Iranians Thursday at an Iranian government office in the northern city of Irbil, Iraqi officials said, as President Bush accused Iran and Syria of aiding militants and promised to "interrupt" the flow of support as part of his new war strategy.

Bangladesh president steps down following violent political protests

By Farid Hossain · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 9:49 p.m.

DHAKA, Bangladesh -- The president of Bangladesh Thursday declared a state of emergency, stepped down as interim leader of the country's caretaker government and postponed this month's elections following violent protests by a key political alliance that has said it would boycott the vote.

Middle Way to auction $30,000 worth of items

By Sandra Arao Ameny · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 9:42 p.m.

Oil and watercolor paintings by Bloomington artists, lithographs signed by famous artists such as Marc Chagall, Joan Miro and Georges Braque, as well as an evening dress worn by Jane Fonda in the movie "Monster in Law" will all be auctioned off at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Man arrested after entering unlocked Briscoe dorm rooms

By Paige Ingram · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 9:41 p.m.

A man was arrested early Thursday morning after police say he unlawfully entered the rooms of two female students in Briscoe Quadrangle.

Music school donor dies at 103

By Paige Ingram · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 9:39 p.m.

Ione Auer, a public supporter of the IU Jacobs School of Music, passed away earlier this week. She was 103.

IUSA hosts call-out meeting for prospective candidates

By Beka Mech · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 9:21 p.m.

The IU Student Association will hold a call-out meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Indiana Memorial Union for students interested in IUSA elections. The room has not yet been announced.

IMU to display Human Race Machine this week

By Maggie Hames · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 9:19 p.m.

The opportunity to step into another's shoes rarely arises, but next week an "eye-opening" event will be taking place on IU's campus. The Human Race Machine is giving people a chance to see how they would look as another ethnicity.

Casino mogul pokes $54 million hole in his Picasso

By Larry Neumeister · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 9:10 p.m.

NEW YORK -- Casino mogul Steve Wynn sued Lloyd's of London Thursday, saying the insurance company failed to act properly on his demand to pay $54 million in lost value for a Picasso that was damaged when Wynn accidentally poked a hole in the canvas with his elbow.

The marble ceiling

By Rachel Fullmer · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 7:45 p.m.

"For our daughters and granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling." Surely Nancy Pelosi's words on Jan. 4, spoken as she was formally elected speaker of the House for the 110th Congress, will be written in the history books and continue to echo long into our great country's future.

Johns Hopkins' 1st Amendment

By Edward Delp · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 7:43 p.m.

Imagine for a moment the following scenario. You organize a party and invite all your friends. Then you receive notice from your school's administration that some people found the theme of the party offensive and ordered you to remove advertisements for it. You complied, but held the party anyway. Then a few days later you were informed that the party was in violation of university policy and you would be facing disciplinary action.

In a stubborn state

By Aparna Venkatraman · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 7:38 p.m.

The Illinois Executive Inspector General's Office recently informed 65 professors and 190 other employees at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale that they might be reprimanded for violating the state ethics policy. Disciplinary action could include termination. What error in ethical judgment have the employees of SIUC committed that has left them filthy with academic dishonesty in the eyes of the state?

Sharper: Grossman talked trash during Bears' first win

By Alyson Brodsy and Rick Gano · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 3:52 p.m.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Minnesota safety Darren Sharper remembers it clearly, though it's been more than two months since Chicago quarterback Rex Grossman threw a late touchdown pass to beat the Vikings at the Metrodome. What happened next seems un-Rex like. The Bears' young quarterback started to talk trash to the Vikings. Apparently big-time. "In 10 years in the league I haven't had a quarterback do that any time to me, so we definitely remember that, and the guys in the locker room remember that," Sharper said Wednesday as the teams got ready for a rematch Sunday at Soldier Field.

Vials of sand

By Colin Dugdale · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 1:03 p.m.

When old people die, I sell their stuff on eBay. For years, I've bought pre-owned goods at local estate sales and resold them on the Internet. Antiques, books, clothes. It's like legalized grave robbing -- a peculiar profession I'll admit.

Residential zone

By Aparna Venkatraman · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 1:02 p.m.

In November 2006, Arizona passed Proposition 300, a ballot measure that stops students who are not legal U.S. residents from paying in-state tuition at public colleges and universities, from receiving state financial aid, and from taking adult classes held by the Arizona Department of Education.

Evolution of book clubs: What would Oprah say?

By Chelsea J. Carter · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 12:50 a.m.

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- Lori Richardson perused the book shelves, picking up one book for consideration and then another. At first glance, there was little that appeared to tie the widely varying authors and genres together. But a closer inspection revealed shelf tags and signs promoting local book club selections.

Fully Exposed

By Katie Ingmire · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 12:50 a.m.

A tall, slender woman leans forward and firmly grasps the metal attachment on the canister of a vacuum cleaner with both hands. She places the attachment underneath a small, rectangular table, sucking up whatever dust remains on the gleaming tile floor. This description could conjure up images of a Dirt Devil advertisement if it were not for one element: Besides a pair of high heels and a garter belt to hold up her sheer stockings, the woman is entirely nude.

Mexican artist reinterprets brutal Aztec ritual

By Kimberly N. Chase · Thursday, Jan. 11,2007 12:50 a.m.

MEXICO CITY -- Mexican artist Hector Velazquez leaned in close and picked dust from one of his sculptures in a dim alcove of his exposition space. "They attract flies," he said in a disheartened voice.