Friday, October 2, 2009

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Stanford University Looking To Sell $1 Billion In Assets Top
Stanford University is looking to sell as much as $1 billion worth of investments including private equity investments, real estate and timberlands, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
 
The Costs Of Being A Gay Couple Run Higher Top
Much of the debate over legalizing gay marriage has focused on God and Scripture, the Constitution and equal protection. More on Economy
 
Unemployment Now Lasts Longer Than Benefits Top
For the first time, the average amount of time it takes fired employees to find a new job exceeds the length of their standard unemployment benefits.
 
Alexis Thompson, 14-Year-Old, Tied For LPGA Tour Lead Top
PRATTVILLE, Ala. — Ninth-grader Alexis Thompson is trying to avoid getting to far ahead of herself in the Navistar LPGA Classic. "I'm an amateur, and I'm just going to look at it and just be like, 'Whatever,'" said Thompson, tied for the second-round lead. "Because I just try to come into these and just play well. It's just good competition for me. Best in the world." Attempting to become the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history, the 14-year-old from Coral Springs, Fla., shot a 3-under 69 on Friday for a share of the lead with top-ranked Lorena Ochoa and three others. "I mean, I can say I'm really mature for 14," said Thompson, the sister of PGA Tour player Nicholas Thompson. "I would definitely say that. But, I mean, I don't know. I just play golf every day. I mean, I'm young. That's the only difference. I don't know, I'm pretty good for a young player. ... I'm 14 and I just love to play golf." Marlene Hagge won the 1952 Sarasota Open 14 days after her 18th birthday and took the Bakersfield Open two months later, but both were 18-hole events. Paula Creamer won the 2005 Sybase Classic at 18 years, 9 months to become the youngest winner of a full tournament. Thompson won the 2008 U.S. Girls' Junior and tied for 34th in July in the U.S. Women's Open. She shot a 65 on Thursday. "I was a little nervous in the beginning," Thompson said. "I don't know why, but I was just playing it as a normal tournament. I mean, maybe just because I was at the top. I don't know. But I'm just going to go out there on the weekend and just be relaxed and just play my game." Ochoa (68), Laura Davies (65), Yani Tseng (63) and Giulia Sergas (65) matched Thompson at 10-under 134 on The Senator course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Capitol Hill complex. "It's lovely to see a young girl like that playing so well," said Davies, a 20-time LPGA Tour winner. "It's good for all of us if she keeps that up." Ochoa, the defending champion who finished second last week behind Sophie Gustafson, is winless in 11 starts since the Corona Championship in April. She has two victories in 17 events this season after winning 21 times in the previous three years. "I'm really happy with my round today," Ochoa said. "It was a little bit of roller coaster. You know, few birdies and also a few bogeys. But I think what's important at the end of the day is I'm in a good position for the weekend. I'm excited to be up there. ... I'm going be ready to play good on the weekend." Tseng matched the tournament record with her 63. She birdied her final three holes and six of her final eight. "I really didn't think of the record," Tseng said. "I just play one shot at a time. ... I just played really good today and made a lot of putts." Gustafson was 9 under after a 65, and Michelle Wie (70) and first-round leader Janice Moodie (72) topped a group at 8 under. "I hit solid shots out there, but I just didn't get them as close to the holes as I wanted them to," Wie said. "I left a lot of putts out. I felt like I should have made a lot more putts today. But, you know, putting in the afternoon is always more difficult than putting in the mornings because you have a lot more bumps in the way and stuff. "But, you know, I'm pretty happy with the way I played. But like I said, there's a lot more work to be done in the next couple days." Thompson bogeyed the 369-yard fourth hole, hitting a lob wedge from 36 yards to 15 feet and two-putting, but rebounded with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 fifth. "That fourth hole, that was a pretty stupid mistake," Thompson said. "But I bounced back and I made birdie next hole. So that was good. That definitely turned it around." She also birdied the par-5 eighth – two-putting after hitting a hybrid from 202 yards to 8 feet – and added birdies on the par-4 ninth and par-5 17th. "I just want to shoot under par the next two days," Thompson said. "Maybe in the 60s would be nice, both days. I think I would be up there." More on Sports
 
Personal Bankruptcy Filings Soar Top
Consumer bankruptcies topped one million for the first nine months of this year, the highest point since the system was overhauled in 2005. More on Bankruptcy
 
Brown And Sarkozy Fought With Obama Over Iranian Nuclear Announcement Top
The President is believed to have angered the European leaders by insisting on delaying a joint press conference until after he had chaired a meeting of the UN Security Council. More on Barack Obama
 
Roger Wolfson: Why it's good for Obama the Olympic Committee didn't pick Chicago Top
I believe in Barrack Obama. I believe he's an exceptionally talented leader. I believe that he has everything he needs in order to be a profoundly important American President. Which means, my biggest hope right now is that he really, truly, and passionately wanted Chicago to host the 2016 Olympics. I hope he wanted it from the top of his head down to his toes. Because I think it's not a bad thing for anyone who wins the American Presidency by a large margin to experience a profound, personal, political loss on the world stage early on in their tenure. It benefits a President to realize he can lose. It benefits a President to realize the stakes are real and failure - real, abject failure - is an option decidedly in play. And it's not a bad idea for a President to taste defeat in the form of a sporting event, than in leading a war against a foreign nation, governing his country, or (I say selfishly) leading his party. I watched Obama's speech to the International Olympic Comitttee (IOC). Again, I'm a long-time supporter of his, and plan to be for a long-time to come. But I question how he talked more about himself than the city he was intending to support. I question how little he discussed the actual, nuts and bolts value of a Chicago bid, in favor of relaying his own, personal feelings about his hometown, in broad terms so symbolic and flowery as to be rather empty. I think that's part of why Chicago came in fourth out of the top four contenders. And I think that's a good thing. This weekend Fox News and others will pummel him relentlessly about his missteps. Let them. (Within reasonable bounds, of course). Let this be a watershed public affairs moment in his Presidency: his first conclusive, embarrassing defeat in office. Then let the leader of the free world get up off the mat and get back to work on Iraq, Afghanistan, Health Care, and the economy, knowing from experience that failure is an option. And subsequently employing a renewed determination to deliver on the talents and opportunities most of the world knows he has. More on Afghanistan
 
Steve Parker: Plug-in hybrid Prius in US in 2012 - Toyota Top
Martin Zimmerman, my friend and the crack automotive business reporter at the Los Angeles Times, reports tonight (along with Bloomberg News): "Toyota Motor Corp. has joined the growing ranks of automakers planning to bring advanced battery-powered vehicles to consumers in the next few years. The Japanese automaker said it plans to have a plug-in version of its popular Prius hybrid on sale in the U.S. within three years. Plug-in Prius prototype a-testing in California "The target is 2012 to be coming to market with them," Irv Miller, a group vice president for Toyota's U.S. sales unit, said at a conference, Bloomberg News reported. Before that, "we're going to study the challenges of consumer demand," he said. Toyota had earlier announced its intention to bring 150 plug-in Priuses to the U.S. by the end of this year, but they are going to be doled out to vehicle fleets in what amounts to a large-scale road test. Today's announcement by Miller was the first time Toyota has set a date for making the plug-in version of the Prius available to consumers. Toyota will have plenty of company. General Motors Co. plans to have its Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid in showrooms by the end of 2010, while Ford Motor Co. has said it plans to have an all-electric version of its Focus compact on the market by 2011. Nissan's Leaf "pure EV" is slated for sale in the US at the end of 2011 BMW and Nissan have electric vehicles planned for the U.S. market by 2012, and various niche manufacturers such as Tesla Motors are developing plug-in hybrids or electric-only vehicles. In his remarks, Miller was more restrained in describing the sales prospects for a plug-in version of the Prius than some of Toyota's rivals have been when discussing their advanced-powertrain cars. That caution is a result of the consumer response in California to Toyota's battery-powered RAV4 sport-utility vehicles early in this decade, he said. "We had a lot of people raising their hands for the RAV4 EV," he said. "As soon as we made them ready for sale, that line evaporated very quickly." Prototype interior of Chevy Volt "extended range" gas/electric hybrid, due in late 2010/2011 The standard Prius hybrid, which has an EPA rating of 50 miles per gallon in combined city-highway driving, combines an electric motor with a conventional gasoline engine to achieve improved fuel economy. A plug-in version would have more powerful batteries that would allow the car to travel a certain distance -- perhaps as much as 10 miles, although Toyota has been unclear on this point -- on electric power alone. The batteries could be recharged by plugging the car into a household outlet overnight." More on Cars
 
Carl Pope: Oh, So the "P" Stand For Protection -- I'd Forgotten Top
It is emblematic of the past eight years that, when EPA Administrator Jackson explained, first at a dinner in San Francisco and then at Governor Schwarzenegger's Climate Summit in L.A., that her agency was actually going to use the Toxic Substances Control Act to protect Americans from dangerous chemicals, and actually had the guts to ask Congress to fix the badly broken law, I was kind of shocked -- pleasantly shocked, to be sure, but still surprised. Jackson's principles, as posted on the EPA's website, don't sound that radical. They aren't even wrapped in the usual bureaucratic jargon, but I've still added my own gloss after each one. Principle #1: Chemicals Should Be Reviewed ... on Sound Science (Science, not politics, should determine safety.) Principle #2: Manufacturers Should Provide EPA with the Necessary Information... that New and Existing Chemicals are Safe (Show us it's safe.) Principle #3: Risk-Management Decisions Should Take into Account Sensitive Subpopulations (Kids matter.) Principle #4: Manufacturers and EPA Should Act in a Timely Manner. (Don't fiddle around while people die.) Principle #5: Public Access to Information Should Be Strengthened (No more secrecy) Principle #6: EPA Should Be Given a Sustained Source of Funding (It takes money to keep us safe.) Jackson followed the "no more secrecy" principal by naming the most egregious chemicals of concern:  benzidene dyes and pigments, bisphenol A (plastics), PBDEs (flame retardants), perfluorinated chemicals (non-stick and stain-resistant coatings), phthalates (plastics and personal care products), and short-chained chlorinated paraffins (flame retardants and plasticizers) Unless you are very unusual, these are already in your body. All of them. They have either not been tested for safety or have been tested and found wanting. Jackson expressed her hope that the chemical industry would cooperate with the EPA in getting the necessary amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act to carry out these principals. "Chemical producers are worried not only about facing an inconsistent patchwork of state laws, but believe that their industry can thrive only if the public is confident that their products meet rigorous safety standards. And they want the U.S. to lead the world in chemical risk management, not fall further behind." Well, maybe. I would be more optimistic if I hadn't been watching the reactionary right gear up to block the nomination of David Michaels, Obama's designee to lead the workplace equivalent of the EPA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. One of the centerpieces of the growing smear against Michaels is his role in exposing the toxic hazards of bisphenol A. Here's a sample from the Family Research Council: At a time when the unemployment rate is nearing double-digits, President Obama's OSHA nominee, David Michaels, threatens to be an occupational hazard. He's also a radical. Conservatives who were outraged by Van Jones should be apoplectic about his tenure when they consider that -- according to their website -- OSHA "inspected 38,579 workplaces during Fiscal Year 2006." David Michaels was behind the junk-science efforts to smear Bisphenol A (BPA), an innovative chemical used to make plastics stronger. The anti-BPA scare-campaign cost consumers untold millions of dollars and untold numbers of jobs. That's not to mention the amount of emotional damage this junk-science inflicted on Americans who were sure they had harmed their baby by giving them the wrong plastic bottle. ... Oh yeah, Michaels' [sic] also helped line the pockets of trial lawyers who made money by suing manufacturers of products made with BPA. All of this, despite countless evidence that BPA was safe. Now what are the scientific credentials of the author of this attack? It turns out it is Kenneth Blackwell, the former Ohio Secretary of State and Republican gubernatorial candidate. Blackwell does have a graduate degree -- in educational psychology, not toxicology. Even allowing for the usual level of hyperbole in today's media, precisely how many jobs does he mean by "untold"? Well, a Google search revealed no studies documenting any job losses from bans on bisphenol A, so the reason this job-loss story has never been told may be because there is no story to tell. There's a difference between saying "there are countless stars in the heavens" and "there are countless UFO's on the White House lawn." The job loss from "junk" bisphenol A science appears to belong is the second category -- countless because it's fictional.  Unfortunately, the American Chemistry Council, which Administrator Jackson is hoping to herd into supporting her reforms, is part of the "bisphenol A belongs in baby bottles" faction -- so my guess is that we are going to have to roll up our sleeves and do some heavy lifting if we want to see the EPA's new toxics-reform agenda move through Congress. Get ready.
 
Cute/Ridiculous Animal Thing Of The Day: Kitten Does Weird Dance (VIDEO) Top
This may be the cutest kitten ever born, which is a hard title to win. While our friends at Buzzfeed warn that the "kitten will hypnotize you with a lethal dose of cute," we're pretty sure the only thing this video will make you want to do is buy a kitten. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! More on Cute Animal Videos
 
Chris Evert And Greg Norman Split Top
Chris Evert and Greg Norman have separated after 15 months of marriage, the Associated Press reports. More on Celebrity Splits
 
Robert Joe Halderman, David Letterman's Alleged Extortionist, Was Deep In Debt Top
NEW YORK — A CBS newsman who prosecutors said was desperate and deep in debt was charged Friday with trying to blackmail David Letterman for $2 million in a plot that forced the late night comic to acknowledge having sex with some of the women who have worked for him. The bizarre case created a messy legal and professional problem for one of CBS' most valuable personalities. Commentators and bloggers quickly accused Letterman of hypocrisy because he has made a career of mocking politicians mercilessly, often for their sexual transgressions. From a strictly business perspective, Letterman's revelations on Thursday's show were an immediate success: His overnight ratings were up 38 percent over the same night a week ago, the Nielsen Co. said. It remains to be seen whether Letterman will suffer long-term damage just as his career appears to be peaking. Letterman has taken over as the king of late-night in the ratings this summer, and last week he beat NBC's Conan O'Brien for the first time among young viewers. Friday night's "Late Show" was taped in advance on Thursday, meaning Letterman won't be taping an episode after his revelation until at least Monday. Jay Leno, Letterman's longtime late-night rival, didn't waste a moment commenting on the situation. He kicked off his monologue on NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" on Friday with several jokes about Letterman. He opened: "If you came here tonight for sex with a talk show host, you've got the wrong studio." Leno continued: "What is going on? First Conan hit his head, and then somebody tries to extort money from Letterman. I'm so glad I'm out of late-night." (Last week, O'Brien suffered a mild concussion during a skit.) Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, a producer for the true-crime show "48 Hours Mystery," pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court as he was arraigned on one count of attempted first-degree grand larceny, punishable by five to 15 years in prison. He was released after posting $200,000 bail. Halderman's connection to Letterman was not immediately clear, but public records show that until August, he lived in Norwalk, Conn., with Stephanie Birkitt, a 34-year-old woman who works on the "Late Show" staff and used to work at "48 Hours." Birkitt was an assistant to Letterman on the "Late Show" and frequently appeared on camera with the host in comedy bits. Last month, Birkitt moved to Manhattan's upper West Side. There was no answer Friday at a phone listed in her name. It was unclear how many women were involved in relationships with Letterman, 62, who married longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko in March. The couple began dating in 1986 and have a son, Harry, born in November 2003. All the affairs took place before Letterman's marriage, said Tom Keaney, spokesman for Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants. Keaney also said Letterman "is not in violation" of the company's harassment policy "and no one has ever raised a complaint against him." CBS issued a statement Friday: "We think it was appropriate for Dave to disclose the matter publicly as he has, and we are continuing to cooperate with authorities." CBS would not address questions about whether Letterman faced any disciplinary actions for relationships with subordinates. CBS News also declined to address questions about whether Halderman's alleged actions call into question any of the work he has done for the news division. David Lande, a New York City-based civil attorney whose cases have included sexual harassment, said Letterman presumably was in a position of power with a voice in hiring, firing and promotions. "So, to the extent that he had control over these factors with the women he was involved with, he could be subject to liability," he said. "I am sure CBS lawyers are reviewing the matter very carefully." Shanti Atkins, president of ELT, a firm that consults on ethics and sex in the workplace issues, said Letterman, his company and CBS could also be vulnerable to claims of sexual favoritism by others in the company if they believe people got ahead because they were sleeping with the boss. Assistant District Attorney Judy Salwen told the judge Halderman was in debt, but did not elaborate. "The evidence is compelling," she said. "It shows the defendant is desperate, and he is capable of doing anything." The prosecutor said Halderman gave the talk show host a package of materials that "contained clear, explicit and actual threats that indicate this defendant ... (wanted to) destroy the reputation of Mr. Letterman and to submit him and his family to humiliation and ridicule." Halderman, hands cuffed behind his back, stared at the floor during most of Friday's court hearing and said only "not guilty." His lawyer, Gerald Shargel, said Halderman worked at CBS for 27 years and had no prior criminal record. He described him as an involved father who coached soccer, baseball and football and has two children, ages 11 and 18. "This story is far more complicated than what you heard this afternoon," Shargel said outside court, but he would not elaborate. Halderman earned about $214,000 in 2007. He was ordered in 2007 to pay his ex-wife $6,800 per month in child and spousal support until May 2011, when the payments will be reduced to $5,966 until May 2014, according to papers filed in Stamford Superior Court. He had asked for a reduction to $2,039 per month because his ex-wife, Patty Montet, was sharing a house in New Canaan with a man. But Montet argued – and the judge agreed – that her living arrangement was for convenience and not romantic. Montet also claimed Halderman was getting $1,500 a month from Birkitt. "Mr. Halderman claims he is struggling financially, but it is difficult to see what, other than mismanagement and extravagant spending, is the reason for this," Montet's attorneys said in the court file. "His is a world of golf trips, vacations, increasing 401k assets, comprehensive benefits, security in employment, earnings as an award-winning producer for CBS, and home ownership." Halderman allegedly left an envelope in Letterman's car early Sept. 9. According to authorities, he wrote that he needed "to make a large chunk of money" and said that Letterman's world would "collapse around him" if damaging information about him were made public. Letterman acknowledged that the letter contained proof that the late-night host had sexual relationships with members of his staff. Three meetings between Letterman's lawyer and Halderman subsequently took place in Manhattan's Essex House hotel, the last two with the lawyer recording the conversations and prosecutors listening in, District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said. At the last meeting, on Wednesday, the lawyer gave Halderman a phony check for $2 million, Morgenthau said. Halderman deposited the check Thursday in a Connecticut bank and was arrested later that day outside CBS News' Manhattan office, he said. Halderman has been described by colleagues as a talented and occasionally volatile producer. His boss, Susan Zirinsky, called "48 Hours" staff members into a meeting on Friday to discuss the case, calling it a personal tragedy. Marcy McGinnis, who was Halderman's boss when she was CBS' London bureau chief, said she had him work on many important stories, like Princess Diana's death and the war in Bosnia. She said she was shocked by the alleged extortion. "The idea of it is so unbelievable. This is a very smart guy. There must have been some sort of mental breakdown. I'm no expert, but it just seems like it was 100 percent out of character." It's the second set of embarrassing headlines for Letterman in four months. He apologized on the air earlier this summer for a crude joke involving Sarah Palin's family. But when the controversy continued to swirl, he came back after a weekend to offer a stronger mea culpa. Letterman's contract with CBS runs through next August, although the network has been in negotiations to continue that through 2012. Advertisers spent $145.2 million on the show from January through June this year, according to TNS Media Intelligence. They appear to be holding firm behind the late night host. "We haven't seen any clients nor do we anticipate any clients looking to move inventory out of the show," said Laura Caraccioli-Davis, an executive vice president and director at Starcom. "We believe that he handled it with full transparency. Consumers are looking for that authenticity and honesty." ___ Associated Press writers Emily Fredrix, Jake Coyle, John Christoffersen, Colleen Long, Mesfin Fekadu, Jennifer Peltz, Hillel Italie, Ryan Nakashima and news researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report.
 
Joe The Failed Comedian: Wurzelbacher Performs Painful Routine At Stand-Up Contest (VIDEO) Top
The annual Funniest Celebrity in DC contest happened this week and while most of the people involved are not celebrities or funny, one contestant hit the trifecta this year as he's not from DC either. Samuel "Joe The Plumber" Wurzelbacher took the stage this year and performed a sweat-drenched and painful routine in which he took shots at President Obama and claimed to have concubines. He also pretended to be the secret brother of Karl Rove, Francis W. Rove, sent to middle America last year to thwart the Obama campaign. He kept it classy with a line at the end expressing his wishes for Keith Olbermann to die. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! More on Video
 
Jon Gosselin: I Made A Million Dollars Last Year, Kids Were Exploited (VIDEO) Top
Jon Gosselin appeared on 'Larry King Live' Thursday night to expand upon the epiphany that led him to demand TLC stop filming his family's reality show. "I had an epiphany one day," said Jon. "I made mistakes... I'm here to apologize to Kate." Then he apologized to his girlfriend, Hailey Glassman. Jon also said he used to be "an avoider" but his newfound "sense of empowerment" has allowed him to see what's best for his family and not his wallet, which became $1 million fatter last year. "I don't think it's healthy for them, and the reason I don't think it's healthy for them is we're going through a divorce right now," he said. "I don't think it should be televised, and I think my kids should be taken off the show." WATCH: Embedded video from CNN Video Get HuffPost Entertainment On Facebook and Twitter! More on Jon & Kate Plus 8
 

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