Thursday, October 4, 2007

Larry Stevens is running for the Libertarian Party in the Ontario provincial election, in the Kitchener-Conestoga riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

Monday, November 22, 2004

Dan Rather has announced that he will retire on March 9th, 2005 as anchor of CBS Evening News. He will continue to be a correspondent for both of the 60 Minutes shows.

It is reported that Rather’s leaving has nothing to do with a report in 2004 regarding US President Bush’s National Guard service that was widely reported to be factually false. A CBS panel is looking into that report.

Others believe that Rather is stepping down due to this report and investigation. Howard Kurtz, a reporter for the Washington Post, states that “It’s pretty clear that Dan Rather faced a very unpalatable choice… His contract had at least two more years to run. [Should he] step down now before the outside investigative report, commissioned by CBS News expected in the next few weeks about his botching — and the network’s botching — of that story about President Bush’s National Guard service? Rather [decided] today that it would be better for him to step down on his own terms.”

Dan Rather, 74, has been the anchor for CBS Evening News for 24 years, succeeding Walter Cronkite. Rather is the third most watched anchor on United States television.

All links dated November 23, 2004.

• Dan Collins, “Dan Rather Stepping Down”, CBS News.
  • Blogs: Jay Rosen, Medium Lobster, Jeff Goldstein, Steve M., Captain Ed, Skippy, Cori Dauber, DJ Drummond, Christopher Kanis, Greg Ransom, Jim Treacher, Smash, Taegan Goddard, Edward, Kevin McCullough
• The Associated Press, “Rather to Resign ‘CBS Evening News’ Post”, ABC News (US). Earlier article.
  • Blogs: Kevin Roderick, Damian Penny, Will Collier, Andrew Sullivan, Roger L. Simon, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Glenn Reynolds, Jesse Taylor, Matthew Yglesias, Jon Henke, Charles Johnson, Ace
• Jacques Steinberg, “Rather to Step Down in March After 24 Years as CBS Anchor”, New York Times (registration).
  • Blogs: Jay Rosen, Hindrocket, Charles Johnson, James Martin Capozzola.
• “Dan Rather to Step Down as CBS Anchor”, Fox News.
  • Blogs: Captain Ed, Bill at INDCJournal, Hindrocket
• “Dan Rather to leave anchor desk in March”, CNN.
  • Blogs: James Joyner, Andrew Sullivan
• The Associated Press, “CBS’s Rather Will Step Down”, Toledo Blade.
• The Associated Press, “A Chronology of Dan Rather’s Career”, Seattle Post Intelligencer.
• “Iowans Sad, Happy that Dan Rather Will Step Down”, Iowa Channel.com.
• Jonathan L. Schwartz, “Viacom’s CBS Network Loses Top Anchor To Retirement”, Forbes.
• “Dan Rather Stepping Down”, WNCT.
• More articles on Dan Rather at Google News.
• More blog commentary on Dan Rather’s resignation at Technorati.
• Usenet discussions of Dan Rather at Google Groups.
• Photos of Dan Rather at Yahoo! News.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Last month, Paul D. Ceglia filed suit against Facebook, the world’s largest social network, claiming that he rightfully owns 84 percent of the company. The lawsuit, filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, bases its claims on a 2003 contract between Ceglia and Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The contract reportedly states that Zuckerberg would give Ceglia 50 percent ownership in the company in exchange for designing a website “similar to a live functioning yearbook with the working title of ‘The Face Book’,” and paying a US$1000 fee. Ceglia would also get an extra percentage point every day after January 1, 2004 until the work was completed.

Earlier this month, Judge Thomas Brown issued a temporary restraining order that prevents transfer of Facebook’s assets in light of the ongoing lawsuit. According to Victor P. Goldberg, who teaches at Columbia University’s Law School, the lawsuit may get tripped up by the statute of limitations, which is six years in New York. PC World says that one problem with Ceglia’s claim is that the contract was purportedly signed in 2003, while Zuckerberg didn’t register the domain name thefacebook.com until January 2004.

This is not the first time Ceglia has appeared in court. In 2009, New York’s Attorney General Andrew Cuomo accused Ceglia of fraud. The state claims that Ceglia took more than $200,000 from customers of a wood-pellet fuel company, and failed to deliver any products or refunds; this case is still ongoing. A Facebook spokesman has stated that they believe this suit is completely frivolous and will fight it vigorously.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

All residents within a half-mile radius of the EQ Resource Recovery chemical plant in southeastern Michigan were asked to voluntarily evacuate on Tuesday due to a chemical plant explosion. ClickOnDetroit reported that nearby residents who choose to stay were told to close their doors and windows.

The plant, located in Romulus, near Wayne, is about 15 miles southwest of Detroit. Initial reports stated that a single explosion in a chemical tank was the cause of the fire. The cause of this explosion has not yet been determined. Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ confirmed that all employees made it out of the plant before the explosion occurred, and that HAZMAT teams were on the scene of the fire. Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans announced that no injuries were reported in the initial explosion. However, approximately 32 people were treated for breathing problems at nearby Oakwood Annapolis Hospital, due to the subsequent fire.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analyzed soot in the area and determined that it did not pose a substantial health risk. The company in question has been the target of numerous enforcement actions by the EPA in the past, including a $240,000 fine in 1999. A major chemical processed at the plant is acetone, the main ingredient in nail polish remover, which is known to be toxic in high dosages, especially to those with lung conditions. Acetone is also an eye and skin irritant. Other chemicals, such as antifreeze, are also processed there. Two Detroit-area law firms have filed class action lawsuits against EQ Resource Recovery on behalf of local residents, and a third is considering similar action.

Romulus is the site of the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), the primary airport for the Detroit area and a hub for Northwest Airlines. However, airport service was not affected. News of this explosion came as a chemical plant explosion in Story City, Iowa happened just a day before and three similar explosions in Texas occurred July 28.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Joseph Cerniglia, a chef who had appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s television show Kitchen Nightmares, has commited suicide. Cerniglia was the owner of Italian restaurant Campania. He jumped off a bridge into the Hudson river on the New York–New Jersey border. At the time of filming in 2007, Cerniglia owed suppliers $80,000.

Officials reported that 39-year-old Cerniglia had jumped off of the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson. His death has officially been ruled as suicide. His body was retrieved from the river after reports of a man jumping off of the bridge.

Ramsay released a statement to the Press Association saying “I was fortunate to spend time with Joe during the first season of Kitchen Nightmares. Joe was a brilliant chef, and our thoughts go out to his family, friends and staff.”

Cerniglia told Ramsay about his personal debt when he came to the restaurant in 2007. He said “I am financially in trouble. The debt of the restaurant alone is overwhelming. My personal debt — wife, kids, mortgage — that’s a lot of debt”.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

A freak accident caused twenty deaths and some injuries, according to officials, at the well-known Kintampo waterfall, in Ghana, on Sunday afternoon local time. Those affected were reportedly school students from Wenchi Senior High School on a supervised trip, and several tourists, who were swimming at the time of a rainstorm and strong winds, bringing down a tree and crushing victims.

Eighteen students, according to Ghana National Fire Service spokesman Prince Billy Anaglate, were killed at the falls, while another two were rushed to hospital and died in care. Varying reports indicated possibly up to 18 people remaining in a critical condition who were trapped under the tree, who were then rescued and rushed to hospital, including a Wenchi Senior High School administrator.

Anaglate said the wind uprooted trees, which fell on swimmers.

Students’ bodies have been sent to the Kintampo Municipal Hospital’s morgue.