The American missionaries accused of child trafficking for trying to take 33 children out of Haiti may have a legal adviser representing them in the Dominican Republic who is wanted in El Salvador. The Salvadoran police suspect the lawyer, Jorge Puello, of leading a ring that deals in Central American and Caribbean women and girls, offering them jobs and then forcing them into prostitution in El Salvador. Puello said it was a case of mistaken identity, that his name was common in Latin America, that a Colombian drug dealer arrested with 25 IDs had one bearing his name, that his accusers should "bring the proof." The Commissioner of the Salvadoran police and presiding Haitian judge said that Puello looked like a Salvadoran file photo of the trafficking suspect, and the judge is launching his own investigation into the matter. Other tidbits about Puello don't check out. He says he has a law license, but records at the College of Lawyers in the Dominican Republic don't list his name; he said he's part of a 45-member firm, but his Santo Domingo office is too tiny to fit that many lawyers.

In the wee hours of Saturday, close to 3,500 U.S. Marines and 1,500 Afghan soldiers descended on Marja, a region of Afghanistan that has traditionally been a Taliban stronghold. “We’re going to take Marja away from the Taliban,” said Brig. Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson, in a move that could lead to “a fundamental change in Helmand and, by extension, the entire nation of Afghanistan.” The operation is one of the largest ever in Afghanistan and is marked by closer cooperation with Afghan forces than previous missions; local tribal elders reportedly support the surge. Officials are keeping a close eye on the mission, called a “test of the central government’s ability to reach down to a still-volatile part of the country and deliver sustainable governance" by the State Department representative to the Marine brigade.

Despite the somber news that an athlete from the Republic of Georgia died in a training accident Friday, the 2010 Winter Olympics got off to a jubilant start. With more than 50,000 spectators looking on, 2,500 athletes from a record 82 countries—competing for medals in 86 events—paraded through BC Place Stadium for the first-ever indoor Opening Ceremony. Amid elaborate tributes to Canada's culture and history, Canadian singers Nelly Furtado, Sarah McLachlan and others performed. Earlier in the day, Nodar Kumaritashvili died after a crash during a practice run. The 21 year old lost control of his sled, went over the track wall, and hit an unpadded steel pole. It’s unclear how fast Kumaritashvili was going, but many sliders on the track—which is the world’s fastest and has raised some safety concerns among athletes—have exceeded 90 miles per hour. In the Opening Ceremony, Georgia's athletes wore black armbands in honor of Kumaritashvili, and the Olympic and Canadian flags have been lowered to half-staff.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has begun criticizing President Obama in public—for example, taking aim at his decision to exempt defense spending from a budget freeze and tax breaks for small businesses to hire workers. “What you’re seeing now in public has been building in private,” a top House Democratic official tells Politico. “Both ends of the Capitol—the House and the Senate—are starting to wonder if they’re on their own. You have a lot of frustration there. And the White House’s reaction to all of that seems to be, ‘Run against Congress’—which, as you can imagine, doesn’t go over very well with House members. The White House reaction seems to be, ‘Position ourselves against Congress.’”

A biology professor denied tenure opened fire at the University of Alabama’s Huntsville campus Friday, killing three, according to police. Dr. Amy Bishop is suspected of shooting six victims in total at a faculty meeting this afternoon, leaving three dead and three others seriously wounded, university officials report. The Harvard-educated neuroscientist allegedly began shooting after she learned at the meeting that she would not be receiving tenure, according to a local NBC affiliate in Huntsville. Five of the reported victims were faculty members and one of the injured was reportedly a staff member. The University of Alabama was put on lockdown immediately and the suspect was detained outside of the campus building “without incident.”

Harold Ford Jr. and Larry Kudlow aren’t the only rich men with their eyes on New York’s Senate seat: The New York Times reports that Mort Zuckerman, the real-estate mogul and publisher of the Daily News, is mulling a run as an independent or a Republican for the New York Senate seat held by Kirsten Gillibrand. Zuckerman, who is typically known as a Democrat but could emulate his good friend Michael Bloomberg and run as a Republican or independent, is estimated to have a fortune valued at $2 billion. Sources close to him say that he is considering commissioning a poll to test the possibility of a candidacy.

Is an 8.2 percent unemployment rate low enough to get President Obama reelected? He better hope so, as his team is predicting that will be the rate in 2012, when he’s up for reelection. According to the administration’s projections, unemployment will remain well over 6 percent until 2015. A 9.2 percent rate is predicted for 2011.

After a week of record snowfall in the Mid-Atlantic, Southern states like Texas, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina—where schools close at even the possibility of a rare snowfall—were also seeing white on Friday. While a foot of snow in Texas led to almost 200 traffic accidents, Florida's dusting only lasted for about 10 minutes. "I've only ever seen snow on TV till now," said a 6 year old in Penascola. The storm caused American Airlines to cancel 240 flights on Friday, most of them at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. 1,100 flights were also canceled in Atlanta due to an expected two inches of snow.

With one radio interview, surprisingly popular Texas gubernatorial hopeful Debra Medina became her own worst enemy Thursday after making poorly chosen remarks about the 9/11 attacks and President Obama’s birth certificate. Speaking with Glenn Beck, Medina—a rising star in the Tea Party movement who is closing in on veteran Kay Bailey Hutchinson in polls—refused to rule out the possibility that the U.S. government played a role in orchestrating the September 11 attacks. “I think the American people have not seen all the evidence there,” she said, “so I have not taken a position on that.” Medina only made things worse later when she tried to explain herself, saying that the 9/11 conspiracy theory was simply a question she had asked herself—just like the question about the veracity of Obama’s birth certificate. "I think I can write her off the list," Beck said after the interview.

Disgraced filmmaker Roman Polanski is making headlines once again this week, but this time he’s garnering positive attention for his on-screen triumphs. The director and producer’s first new film since 2005, The Ghost Writer—described as “a Hitchcockian nightmare with a persistent, stomach-turning sense of disquiet” by The Guardian—debuted at the Berlin Film Festival Friday, earning much buzz for its haunting real-life allusions. The British newspaper’s review also dubbed the film Polanski’s “most purely enjoyable picture for years.” Based on Robert Harris’ bestseller, the movie depicts the story of Adam Lang, a once-admired, but now fallen U.K. prime minister (played Pierce Brosnan), and the ghost writer of his memoir (played Ewan McGregor). The film, which premieres in the U.S. next week, invokes the political career of former British leader Tony Blair, as well as some of the moral complexities of Polanksi’s own life.

It’s been exactly one month since a magnitude 7 earthquake devastated Haiti, and in the midst of continued rescue and rebuilding efforts the nation held a day of mourning Friday in honor of the more than 200,000 people who were killed. “The pain is too heavy—words cannot explain,” said President Rene Preval as he cried during a prayer service by the remains of the National Palace. The service was led by a Catholic bishop and the head of the Voodoo Priests (representing Haiti’s two official religions) but the divide between the two faiths has caused tension during the relief effort, and the disproportionate amount of aid from evangelical Christian organizations has led a number of Voodoo followers to convert. “The earthquake scared me,” said one woman who made the switch. “Voodoo has been in my family but the government isn’t helping us. The only people giving aid are the Christian churches.”

Jaycee Dugard desperately hoped for freedom while being held prisoner for 18 years by her alleged tormentors, newly surfaced excerpts from her diary show. "It feels like I'm sinking... this is supposed to be my life to do with what I like... but once again he has taken it away," Dugard wrote in a 2004 entry, the AP reports. "How many times is he allowed to take it away from me?" she wrote. "I am afraid he doesn't see how the things he says makes me a prisoner." Philip Garrido is believed to have fathered two children with Dugard while allegedly holding her captive with the help of his wife, Nancy. Dugard was captured when she was 11 years old, and rescued last year at age 29.

Sausage fingers are in in South Korea: Business Insider reports that CJ Corporation’s snack-sausage sales are up 40 percent in South Korea, where iPhone owners use them as a stylus rather than taking off their gloves. Apparently the sausages are electrostatically similar to a human finger.

It now seems possible that Dan Quayle's legacy will involve more than just his inability to spell root vegetables. On Fox News Friday, the former vice president under George H.W. Bush (who infamously added an "e" to the end of "potato," at an elementary-school spelling bee in 1992) announced that his son, Ben, has entered Arizona's congressional race to succeed retiring Republican Representative John Shadegg. "We are convinced he will be successful," the elder Quayle said. The junior Quayle is one of several political legacies who've recently announced their bid for office—including Chris Cox, a grandson of former President Richard Nixon, and Rand Paul, son of 2008 presidential candidate Ron Paul.

Forget about diamonds: Tiger Woods has purchased a custom-designed sporting boat christened Solitude, likely for estranged wife Elin Nordegren, according to People magazine. The $2-$3 million dive boat was "designed for Elin, who loves the sport," an unnamed source said. Woods and Nordegren went diving together early in their marriage, a hobby that continued in their leisure time. The 150-foot yacht is two years in the making and is docked close to the new home Woods is having built in Florida.

Valentine's Day, released Friday, packs maybe the most concentrated star power of any movie in years, with everyone from Julia Roberts to Anne Hathaway to Jamie Foxx to Ashton Kutcher participating. But according to critics, too many cooks have spoiled the broth, as the movie has garnered overwhelmingly negative reviews. In his review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert writes that " Valentine's Day is so desperate to keep all the characters alive, it's like those Russian jugglers who run around, trying to keep all their plates spinning on poles." The clutter ends up wrecking whatever charms the A-list cast bring to the film. The New York Times' Manohla Dargis calls it "a disaster: cynically made, barely directed, terribly written." And the New York Observer's Rex Reed says the film is "lame and contrived."

Former President Bill Clinton was released from New York Presbyterian Hospital Friday morning, Terry McAuliffe reported. Clinton’s cardiologist said he’ll be able to return to work on Monday. His doctor says he’s in “excellent” condition. Both daughter Chelsea and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Clinton, who had two stents inserted into a blocked artery—one grafted during a quadruple bypass surgery in 2004—to restore blood flow after he was rushed to the hospital Thursday. Clinton has been busy lately, having traveled to Haiti twice since the earthquake on January 12 and to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, also in January. Friends and analysts attribute Clinton's current condition to his long hours and rigorous work schedule.

A sad start to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver: Nodar Kumaritashvili, a men’s luger from the Republic of Georgia, died Friday after a crash during a practice run, according to the Toronto Sun. The 21-year-old lost control of his sled, went over the track wall, and hit an unpadded steel pole. It’s unclear how fast Kumaritashvili was going, but many sliders on the track—which is the world’s fastest and has raised some safety concerns among athletes—have exceeded 90 miles per hour.

You may not know Fred Morrison, but you know his work. Morrison, who died Tuesday at age 90, used his experience as a World War II fighter pilot to design the flying chunk of plastic we call a Frisbee. Originally labeled "Pluto Platter" and "Whirlo-Way" by Morrison, the flying saucers became a hit after he licensed them to Wham-O in 1957 and named them Frisbees. According to the Wall Street Journal, Morrison's fascination with the objects began at an early age, when as a teenager he would throw popcorn lids and cake pans on the beach in California. His invention eventually created new sports entirely, with ultimate frisbee an organized sport on many college campuses. "It is impossible to fathom the impact Fred Morrison has had on the world through the invention of such a simple object know as the Frisbee," Kevin Givens, executive director of the World Flying Disc Federation, told the Journal.

Dennis Hopper's prenuptial agreement with estranged wife Victoria has just been unsealed—and it packs a punch. According to the document, Dennis would keep all his property, fine arts valued at more than $2.5 million, and his "separate property pension and retirement benefits." Victoria would also have to move out of the house within 60 days of divorce filings, extended from 30 days because they have a child together. However, if Dennis were to die while the two were married and living together, she would receive $250,000 in life insurance and 25 percent of his will. Unfortunately for Victoria, they no longer live together. Regardless of marital status, Victoria is only walking away with a few computers, books, an old VW and her grandmother's furniture. According to The Dennis Hopper Trust, Victoria would have pocketed $6.25 million and Dennis' Los Angeles home if they hadn't separated.

Iran is allegedly blocking all telecommunications, effectively hindering opposition supporters from relaying information and messages to the rest of the world and each other, according to the U.S. government. Telephone lines and SMS messages have been disabled, and the Internet has been "throttled." This comes after Iranian opposition supporters rallied to mark the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, sparking violence in Tehran and other cities. PJ Crowley, assistant secretary of State, told reporters, "Iran has attempted a near total information blockade," and called it an "unprecedented and overwhelming step."

Less than a month after his father's historic seat in Massachusetts went to a Republican, news has come that Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) won’t be seeking reelection to Congress. In a message to be aired Sunday night on television in Rhode Island, Kennedy said that his life is "taking a new direction." (The Associated Press previewed the tape.) Kennedy has served eight terms, but has been in and out of treatment for substance abuse following a car crash in 2006.

Despite grave warnings from China about rough international relations ahead, President Obama has set a date to sit down with the Dalai Lama, according to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. The spiritual leader will appear at the White House on February 18. Ma Zhaoxu, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the U.S. should "immediately withdraw" the invitation. Every president since George H.W. Bush has met with the Dalai Lama, usually not without criticism from the Chinese government. This president appears to be no exception, though he did skip a face-to-face with the Dalai Lama when the Tibetan leader visited Washington in October.

Toyota's troubles have just begun. All the recalls for acceleration and braking problems have caused a massive number of lawsuits, and not just suits related to death and injuries attributed to safety problems—at least 30 lawsuits seeking class-action status have been filed to pay consumers for the vehicles' reduced value and lost use during repairs. For instance, a team of 22 law firms in 16 states are working on a class-action suit aimed at recovering lost car value. According to the head of the legal team, it should be easy to prove damages, as the value of Toyotas have fallen 2.5 percent to 4.5 percent from four weeks ago. If a typical vehicle was worth $10,000 before the recalls and lost 3.5 percent in value, that's a $350 loss per car. With six million Toyotas recalled, the damages could reach $2.1 billion. If plaintiffs are able to prove that Toyota knew about the defects but did nothing, Toyota could be on the hook for double that. And that's just one of the many suits facing the company.

The family of fraudster Bernie Madoff is under fire. His sons, Mark, 45, and Andrew, 43, as well as his brother Peter, 60, are the target of a criminal tax-fraud investigation by federal prosecutors in Manhattan, The Wall Street Journal reports, as well as a civil suit brought by the court-appointed trustee in charge of recovering assets for Madoff victims. It's unclear what alleged tax fraud federal prosecutors are investigating, although such cases commonly deal with alleged failures to declare income or false deductions, such as deducting personal expenses as business costs. David Friehling, who pleaded guilty last year to preparing false tax returns for Bernie Madoff and signing off on fake audit reports for the firm, is assisting with the investigation. All three men are former tax clients of Friehling. A separate civil suit filed in October by Irving Picard, the trustee, seeks $200 million in damages from Madoff family members who worked at the firm and alleges that Peter, Mark, and Andrew each withdrew $16 to $18 million from their firm accounts in "brazenly fabricated transactions." The civil suit also charges that the three should have recognized irregularities as evidence of Madoff's fraud.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, released a statement on his web site Friday praising the turnout of "tens of millions" at the previous day's government rally, which commemorated the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Although the government rally dwarfed opposition protests, the authorities did their best to crush opposition activists. They jammed Internet connections and mobile phone networks, fired tear gas to disperse opposition rallies, marked protestors for later arrest with paintball guns, and physically attacked opposition leaders, including the wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the head of the opposition movement. And what would an Ayatollah's statement be without a few potshots at the West? Khamenei lashed out at "bullying states," charging that "foreign enemies" should "wake up and abandon futile efforts to subjugate Iran."

President Barack Obama had harsh words for Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Thursday. After struggling over a deadlock on administration nominees, Obama told the Senate Minority Leader, "If you don't move any, I'm going to do some [recess] appointments." Twenty-seven nominees have since been confirmed. In a statement, Obama said, "While this is a good first step, there are still dozens of nominees on hold who deserve a similar vote, and I will be looking for action from the Senate when it returns from recess. If they do not act, I reserve the right to use my recess appointment authority in the future." Though the move may look like a show of power from the commander in chief, Republicans say this happens all the time. "We cleared something like 35 nominees before the last recess, too. That's what happens before a recess," said a Senate Republican aide.

Looking to minimize the consequences of the Supreme Court's recent decision allowing corporations to spend significantly larger amounts influencing elections, Congress is taking up legislation to counter some of the ruling's implications. "It's one of the most wrongheaded decisions in court history," Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) told the Los Angeles Times. A bill revealed Friday by Democrats would ban foreign corporations from spending money on U.S. races, with Schumer naming Venezuela-owned Citgo as an example. And in a seeming attempt to embarrass companies who put up negative or controversial ads, the legislation would require CEOs of corporations to appear at the end of advertisements approving their content, much as presidential ads operate now.