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Four police officers have been killed in an ambush at a coffee house in Tacoma, Washington, near McChord Air Force Base, reports a sheriff’s official. A Pierce Country Sheriff’s spokesperson said the four officers—three men, and one woman—were sitting in a coffee shop with their computers catching up on paperwork before their shifts began when the shooting occurred at 8:15 Sunday morning. One officer fought with the shooter and managed to struggle out the door to fire at the the gunman, and the sheriff's office has asked clinics and hospitals to report any patients who show up with a gun wound. The officers are also believed to have been targeted specifically as part of a “flat out ambush.” One gunman reportedly burst into the coffee shop, shot the officers, and then fled the scene. The sheriff's spokesman said, "This was more of an execution. Walk in with the specific mindset to shoot police officers." The man police want for questioning has a long criminal history and was granted clemency by Mike Huckabee when he was governor of Arkansas.
After censures from the United Nations demanding that the country cease nuclear development, Iran’s government has approved the construction of 10 new sites for uranium enrichment. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held a cabinet meeting with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, instructing them to immediately begin work on five enrichment sites and to propose plans for five more within the next two months. The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency has been in tense talks with Iran over the past few weeks in an effort to control its use of uranium, though Iranian officials insist that all nuclear development is for peaceful purposes. The United Nations has not issued a comment on the new construction plans.
The man wanted for questioning in Sunday’s tragic killing of four police officers in Tacoma, Washington, would most likely be in jail right now if not for Mike Huckabee. Suspected shooter Maurice Clemmons was serving what was the equivalent of a life sentence in Arkansas until his sentence was commuted nine years ago by then-Governor Mike Huckabee, despite protests by prosecutors. Clemmons has a rap sheet beginning from age 17 that includes assault, burglary, theft, and rape. Huckabee commuted Clemmons' sentence, citing his young age at the time of his offenses. Clemmons served 11 years, though he landed back in prison for violating his parole. Those charges were dropped owing to an error in serving Clemmons his warrants. Clemmons was released from jail just six days ago, despite facing a fugitive warrant and eight felony charges. His record also indicates erratic behavior and mental instability, and prosecutors had requested a mental evaluation.
Though Roman Polanski will be monitored by an electronic bracelet and confined to his residence when he posts $4.5 million in bail, that residence just happens to be an Alpine chalet. The surroundings will be a dramatic change of scenery from Polanski's current Zurich-area jail cell. Included among the director's newfound liberties will be unlimited—although monitored—phone calls, email, Internet, and the ability to throw lavish parties. "He is completely free to determine his daily schedule," one Swiss justice minister said. After repeated denials, a Swiss court finally ruled last week that the director, held on charges of having sex with a 13-year-old, could be set free on bail. Polanski is waiting to hear whether he will be extradited to Los Angeles for his case.
With many Americans still struggling with the biggest recession in recent memory, the number of people on Food Stamps has hit record highs and continues to increase, with around 20,000 new recipients every day. More than 36 million are currently enrolled in the program, which received a makeover during the Bush administration and was labeled “nutritional aid” instead of welfare. “This is the most urgent time for our feeding programs in our lifetime, with the exception of the Depression,” said an undersecretary of Agriculture. “It’s time for us to face up to the fact that in this country of plenty, there are hungry people.” Use has expanded equally across urban, rural, and suburban areas, and has grown as much in traditionally high-need areas as ones where Food Stamps were rare. The program still faces some opposition but the stigma seems to be wearing off. “I always thought people on public assistance were lazy, but it helps me know I can feed my kids,” said one new recipient.
Appearing on CBS's Face the Nation, Mike Huckabee said that he is "less likely than more likely" to take a stab at the 2012 presidential election. Though polls have him as the frontrunner among Iowa Republican voters, Huckabee expressed concern about the financial burden of running for the post. The former governor of Arkansas is enjoying his stint as a host on Fox News, and, in addition to waiting until next year to feel out the political climate, wants to see what his future at the network could be. Huckabee said that his decision to run would depend on whether he felt Republicans were uniting behind him, and he also expressed concern about the Obama factor. "[A]nyone who thinks Barack Obama is an easy markoff, just remember Bill Clinton was just labeled politically dead and came back to win a resounding reelection in 1996."
In the face of crippling debts, the United Arab Emirates' central bank has said that it “stands behind” the nation’s banks as they attempt to stem an onslaught of loan losses. The downturn came after Dubai World, a holding company with $59 billion in debt, announced that it would seek a standstill agreement and to extend its loan maturities. Many of Dubai’s state-owned companies borrowed a total of $80 billion to build the state economy, but as a result of the global credit crisis have since struggled to raise loans, and sought help from Abu Dhabi, the U.A.E. capital. “This is a very reassuring move by the central bank to limit the risk of any run on Dubai-based banks,” said the chief economist at Banque Saudi Fransi in Riyadh, adding that it would lessen “liquidity concerns by foreign banks about the banking system, mostly those based in Dubai.” The banking industry in the United Arab Emirates is the biggest among six Gulf Arab states, and Abu Dhabi holds 8 percent of global oil reserves.
While Manuel Zelaya, Honduras' ousted president, continues to remain holed up in the Brazilian embassy, the Central American country held its scheduled presidential elections Sunday. The Honduran military detained President Manuel Zelaya on June 28, after he called for a referendum some thought ran counter to the country's constitution. Zelaya sneaked back into the country two months ago, and has called for a boycott of the vote. Although the Obama administration has intervened to find a solution, many from the international community say they will not recognize the election's winner in a country long run by violent governing. The U.S.'s failed attempts at diplomacy have led some to question its commitment to democracy. Many of Zelaya's supporters, comprised mostly of Honduras' poor, said they would not cast a ballot in Sunday's elections, though voters from working- and middle-class areas turned out to vote. In anticipation of rioting or protests, Honduran police and soldiers were dispatched to guard polling booths.
Despite predictions it wouldn’t pass, the majority of Swiss voters have voted in favor of a ban on construction of minarets in the country, a move that is seen as a major blow to Switzerland’s relations with its Islamic citizens. Amnesty International and the Swiss government encouraged citizens to vote against the ban, calling it a potential violation of religious freedom and a detriment to an economy that is often bolstered by wealthy Muslims. The ban was proposed by right-wing Swiss People’s Party in response to rising immigration and what it terms “Islamisation” and will need approval from a majority of voting districts as well as today’s votes in order to pass. "During this campaign in the last two weeks different mosques were attacked, which we never experienced in 40 years in Switzerland,” said the president of Zurich’s Association of Muslim Organizations. Supporters of the ban argue that religious freedom is not in danger and that the argument is purely political. “A minaret is a political symbol,” said an SVP member of parliament. “It is a symbol for introducing, step-by-step, Sharia rights also in Switzerland, parallel to the Swiss law, which is a result of Swiss democracy. And this is the problem. It is nothing against Muslims."
If Tiger Woods had it his way, this would be his last word on the matter. The pro golfer is slowly speaking about Friday morning’s car crash, but he's not saying much. On his Web site, Woods posted a statement accepting full responsibility for his run-in with a fire hydrant and fervently denied rumors circulating about the incident. Some media have reported that his wife assaulted him after discovering that he was having an affair. "This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me," Woods wrote. "My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble... Any other assertion is absolutely false." Woods acknowledged the public's curiosity surrounding the affair, but maintained that the debacle was a private matter.
Though People magazine reported early Sunday that Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal are a couple no more, the magazine now says the actors' reps have denied the claim. A source close to the actress told People that the couple had split, but representatives for both Witherspoon and Gyllenhaal say "it is not true...They are still together." The Hollywood A-listers have been together since 2008, although rumors about their romantic life began in 2007 after the two starred together in Rendition. Witherspoon, 33, publicly acknowledged her relationship with Gyllenhaal, 28, in a fall 2008 Vogue article, and more recently in last month's InStyle. In 2006, Witherspoon divorced actor Ryan Phillippe, with whom she has two children, Ava, 10, and Deacon, 6.
With unemployment on the rise and the housing crisis still in full swing, the Obama administration is set to announce a new $75 billion plan to keep more people in their homes, encouraging mortgage companies to create new loans for their clients. “We are taking additional steps to enhance servicer transparency and accountability,” said a Treasury spokesperson. The new plan comes on the heels of criticism that the original stimulus failed to adequately address the housing crisis. A report from the Congressional Oversight Panel recently concluded that the old plan was “targeted at the housing crisis as it existed six months ago, rather than as it exists now.” The updated program will reportedly publicize companies that are behind in loan modification for struggling borrowers, and give other companies $1,000 up front for each such loan as well as a potential $1,000 every year for the next three years.
Have the Twihards had their fill? Ticket sales for the massively successful Twilight sequel New Moon dropped by 70 percent this week and the film took in an additional $42.5 million. The teen favorite was nearly overtaken by Sandra Bullock’s new film The Blind Side, which grossed $40.1 million over the three-day weekend and saw a remarkable increase of 18 percent. Both films opened last weekend, but Blind Side slowly built word of mouth while New Moon was met with endless anticipation and opening weekend crowds. New Moon has already grossed over $230 million in its first two weeks of release, compared to $119 million in the same time period for the first film. Old Dogs, starring John Travolta, had a poor showing, while Ninja Assassin took in $21 million over five days—pretty decent numbers compared to its $50 million budget. And Disney’s The Princess and the Frog took in an astounding $712,000 in just two theaters, signaling a return to hand-drawn animation is just what Mickey’s studio was looking for.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says that efforts to curb the power of America's central bank under consideration by Congress must be halted. "They would seriously impair the prospects for economic and financial stability in the United States," Bernanke writes in Sunday's Washington Post. The Fed helped stop the financial crisis, Bernanke says, and its regulatory role needs to be protected and not diminished. Bernanke's op-ed is his first major response to the proposals in the House and Senate that would limit the Fed's powers. According to The Wall Street Journal, the article is part of a recent campaign led by Bernanke to take his case public. “Congress has a lot of public support for an attack on the Fed,” one historian told Bloomberg News. “They bailed out everybody in sight.” “Now more than ever, America needs a strong, nonpolitical and independent central bank with the tools to promote financial stability and to help steer our economy to recovery without inflation,” Bernanke writes.
A Senate Foreign Relations Committee report examines Osama bin Laden's escape through the mountains of Tora Bora in December 2001, laying the blame for the terrorist leader's getaway at the feet of Gen. Tommy Franks and then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for the lack of troops in the area. The report, commissioned by committee chairman John Kerry—whose 2004 presidential campaign excoriated the Bush administration for failing to capture bin Laden—holds that the al Qaeda chief's flight "allowed bin Laden to emerge as a potent symbolic figure," and helped lay "the foundation for today's protracted Afghan insurgency." Bin Laden and his second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, were in a Tora Bora cave complex the men had frequented earlier, the report concludes, despite Gen. Franks' continuing uncertainty as to his location at the time.
President Obama will withhold the release of millions of pages of military and intelligence documents even though the information was scheduled to be declassified at the end of the year. The decision runs counter to a White House that promised transparency and openness, the Boston Globe reports. The documents are all more than 25 years old, with some dating back to World War II. “The national-security bureaucracy is deeply entrenched and is not willing to give up some of the protections they feel they need for their documents," said a researcher at the National Security Archive. Critics fear that if Obama can extend deadlines at will, it sets a bad precedent for all future declassifications. “It is a bit of a test," said one Obama appointee. "You have an administration that has committed to certain things and tried to shape the direction, but then you have the bureaucracy which is very adept at resisting change.’’
If you thought that a very public family tragedy would keep Janet Jackson from doing what she does best, think again. The prolific singer with a knack for reinvention is about to come out with a greatest hits album, along with a book about her personal struggles with body image and self-esteem. “I think to this day, people view me as a very shy person,” said Jackson in a new interview. “I don’t think I’m shy. I’m just quiet until I get to know you.” Jackson cites a range of influences from Sammy Davis Jr. to Benny Hill in her work, and explained the pop-heavy tone of her new album, saying “I think people want escapism right now… it’s a sad world right now.” She also took the opportunity to defend President Obama: “Everyone wants everything to turn around immediately. It took us how many years to get to this point? People say, ‘His first 100 days in office, what has he done?’ You can’t do that to the man. It’s not going to happen tomorrow.” But on the recent death of her brother Michael, she was more reticent, saying “It will never be easy. It’s my brother.”
The couple that shamed the Secret Service and crashed Barack Obama’s first state dinner is taking a page from the media handbook and is shopping their first TV interview around to the highest bidder. As the entire nation wonders just how Michaele and Tareq Salahi managed to hustle their way past White House security, the pair has canceled a scheduled interview with Larry King, and reportedly is looking to score a six-figure deal for their big sit-down reveal. An anonymous television executive said that their representatives urged networks to “get their bids in” on the deal. The couple was also making a play for a spot on The Real Housewives of D.C., and was accompanied by Bravo camera crews to the White House event, but if the price is right for the interview, may not be slumming it on reality TV after all.
Welcome to Med Grow Cannabis College, a new institution of higher learning where, for $485, you can receive a six-week education on medical marijuana—a curriculum combining law, horticulture, and history. “This state needs jobs, and we think medical marijuana can stimulate the state economy with hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars,” said the school's 24-year-old founder. According to The New York Times, the Michigan program is emblematic of what's happening throughout the country as legalized medical marijuana expands. Botanists talk about recipes and growing patterns, and one class attendee told her co-workers, “‘I’m going to grow medical marijuana. I’m a gardener, I’ve always dreamed of having a greenhouse, I think it would be great.’ And then I suddenly thought, ‘Hey, I really am going to grow medical marijuana.’”
Some 9,000 Marines may be deployed to southern Afghanistan days after President Obama announces his new war strategy Tuesday, The Washington Post reports. The Marines, intended to renew an assault on a Taliban stronghold in Helmand province, are being sent as part of the president's escalation of the war, and are important components of Gen. Stanley McChrystal's counterinsurgency strategy. One thousand Army trainers, intended to help instruct the Afghan army and police force, will follow the Marines in February. Obama's new plan is expected to call for 30,000 to 35,000 new troops to be deployed over the next 12 to 18 months. The additional troops are intended to stabilize regional Afghan governments and fight off the Taliban, which has made a comeback in recent months.
More than 50 people are dead and dozens are missing in Bangladesh after a ferry carrying 1,000 passengers capsized late Friday night. The accident occurred as passengers were trying to disembark from a ship carrying people returning home from a celebration of Eid, the holiday that marks the completion of Ramadan. "As I saw water in the lower deck I jumped through the window and swam ashore," a survivor told The Guardian. "Also, many passengers were frightened after seeing water in the lower deck and started rushing out, causing the boat to tilt on one side." On Sunday, rescuers were able to right the ship, easing their efforts.
Veteran Los Angeles Times sportswriter Mike Penner was found dead Saturday at his Los Angeles home. He was 52. In 2007, Penner made international headlines when he announced he was a transsexual and began writing under the byline "Christine Daniels." Colleagues said suicide was the suspected cause of death. Writing for more than two decades at the Times, Penner covered professional football and sports media. "He was one of the most talented writers I've ever worked with," said the newspaper's sports editor, adding, "He was a gentle man, a kind man. It's just a tragedy."
According to Roman Polanski's sister-in-law, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was instrumental in assuring the director's release from prison. "I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is thanks to the president that Roman has been freed, but he has been super," said Mathilde Seigner, the sister of Polanski's wife Emmanuelle. Some have speculated that Sarkozy's wife, Carla Bruni, who used to run in the same artistic circles as Polanski and Seigner, pressured her husband to intervene. Polanski, arrested by the Swiss at the behest of the U.S. on a 1977 rape warrant, will be moved from prison to his chalet after he puts up his $4.5 million bail, and will be monitored via an electronic bracelet.
In a scene familiar to anyone acquainted with World Trade Organization conferences, a group of anti-capitalism protesters smashed windows and set fire to cars in Geneva, denouncing the trade group and shouting anti-globalization slogans. Police in riot gear attempted to drive off the violent protesters, who were a small part of a largely peaceful crowd of 2,000 that had shown up to demonstrate against a WTO conference set for Monday. Some demonstrators said South Korean activists had been refused entry to Switzerland at the airport, and were stripped and body-searched. The protesters, who say the WTO favors corporations and fosters poverty, held signs with slogans like "We will not sell our souls to the multinationals."
And the plot thickens. Both Tiger Woods and his wife Elin delayed speaking to police, adding to the mystery of what exactly caused the world's best golfer to crash his SUV in his own driveway late Friday night. The gossip site TMZ reported that Woods' facial injuries were caused by an altercation with his wife, who was allegedly confronting her husband about reports that he was seeing another woman. A Florida police spokeswoman said postponing a meeting was unusual. "This just delays us to getting closer to the completion of the investigation," she said.
